An interdisciplinary team led by University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Lee C. Bassett and Dani Bassett, also of the School of Arts & Sciences, have studied the mechanical properties of prions, the mysterious shape-shifting proteins that are infamous for mad cow disease yet essential for yeast survival. Their findings could offer key insights into neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s diseases and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and pave the way for novel drug delivery systems.

A study published today in the journal Cell marks the first reported instance of generative AI designing synthetic molecules that can successfully control gene expression in healthy mammalian cells. As a proof-of-concept, the authors of the study asked the AI to design synthetic fragments which activate a gene coding for a fluorescent protein in some cells while leaving gene expression patterns unaltered. They created the fragments from scratch and dropped them into mouse blood cells, where the sequence fused with the genome at random locations. The experiments worked exactly as predicted and pave the way for new strategies to give instructions to a cell and guide how they develop and behave with unprecedented accuracy.

Rice University President Reginald DesRoches, a nationally recognized leader in resilient infrastructure and engineering education, has been elected to the 2025 class of distinguished members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) — the organization’s highest honor short of the presidency.

MIT engineers developed a ping-pong-playing robot that quickly estimates the speed and trajectory of an incoming ball and precisely hits it to a desired location on the table.

As the world grapples with climate change, the shift toward sustainable transportation has become imperative. Electric vehicles (EVs) are at the forefront of this transition, offering cleaner and more efficient alternatives to fossil fuel-powered cars. However, the widespread adoption of EVs faces challenges, particularly in charging infrastructure. Wireless power transfer (WPT) technology presents a promising solution, eliminating the need for physical connectors and enabling seamless charging. Among WPT methods, inductive power transfer (IPT) stands out due to its reliability and efficiency. This study focuses on optimizing circular coils with ferrite cores to enhance IPT efficiency for EVs, addressing critical limitations such as misalignment tolerance and electromagnetic field (EMF) dispersion.