Borrowing from the anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil, Penn Engineers used a century-old chemical reaction to redesign the lipid nanoparticles that deliver mRNA. By adding phenol groups, antioxidant compounds found in olive oil, to the delivery molecules, they created a new class of lipids that reduce inflammation and enhance performance. The result is a safer, more effective platform for mRNA vaccines and therapies, with promising results in animal models of COVID-19, cancer and gene editing.

Penn Engineers reveal a new model that describes how mechanical stress fuels chemical reactions and why that could help reshape green manufacturing and lubricant design.

Published in Science Advances, breakthrough polymer coating developed at Carnegie Mellon University extends the half life of an MXene-based air quality sensor by 200% and enables regeneration when performance begins to degrade.

Today, scientists work to develop synthetic cells that mimic living cells, hoping to uncover clues that will help answer the question: how did life on Earth begin? In the past, researchers have focused on compartmentalization, but not on metabolism. Yet this cycle of building up and breaking down molecules is a critical aspect of how living cells respond to environmental stimuli, replicate and evolve. Now researchers from the University of California San Diego have designed a system that synthesizes cell membranes and incorporates metabolic activity.

Pigment researchers are using a rare mineral discovered in Norway more than a century ago as a road map for creating new yellows, oranges and reds that are vibrant, durable, non-toxic and inexpensive.

Tacking—a maneuver used to sail a boat against the wind, changing direction in a zig-zag fashion—is one of the most difficult but necessary sailing maneuvers. While tacking is common, the movement of the sails and wind forces during the turn are not well understood. A new study by New York University and University of Michigan mathematicians addresses these matters head-on. It offers a detailed characterization of how sails behave during a wide range of tacking motions and with an array of sail types.

Heatwaves are becoming more frequent around the world. And while rising temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions are part of the problem, the declining levels of aerosols — the small particles that make up smog and air pollution — may be driving the rise even more, particularly in populated areas.