Whether made by the body or ingested through diet, cholesterol plays a vital role in cells. Cholesterol also is a building block of steroids and hormones, including those that trigger puberty and support pregnancy. A new study, led by Daniel Ory, MD, implicates a surprising regulator of cholesterol in cells’ ability to make these hormones, especially in tissues associated with fertility, such as the ovaries.

Two vastly different but innovative business startups with direct ties to Washington University — Applied Particle Technology and Invisible Girlfriend — have been awarded $50,000 in capital funding through Arch Grants. The grants provide equity-free cash awards and free support services to startups that make St. Louis their headquarters.

An analysis of Twitter hashtag use on the subject of diabetes provides new insights about spreading health information through social media. The study, led by Jenine Harris, PhD, of the Brown School, looked at the hashtag #diabetes and its interaction with two Twitter measures of engagement, retweeting and favoriting.