Author: Jim Dryden

In just six months of collaboration, a Department of Energy grand challenge led by Washington University in St. Louis has resulted in the sequencing and annotation of a cyanobacterium that could yield clues to how environmental conditions influence key carbon fixation processes at the gene-mRNA-protein levels in an organism.

Nationally there has been considerable recent debate and discussion about how to ascertain the effectiveness of any given school curriculum. Under the auspices of the National Research Council, a committee, chaired by Jere Confrey, Ph.D., professor of education in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has written the report “On Evaluating Curriculum Effectiveness.” “This discussion of how to establish curricular effectiveness in mathematics is particularly relevant in light of President Bush’s State of the Union address and budget, which includes significant expenditures on improving mathematics and science education in this country,” Confrey said. “If the funds are to make a difference, thorough, valid and fair evaluations of materials will be critical.”

The recent revolution in the life sciences- the sequencing of the human genome, and development of “high throughput” technologies- has created new opportunities for investigation, and created new challenges for educators. Sarah C.R. Elgin, Ph.D., professor of biology; biochemistry and molecular biophysics; and education in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has been a proponent and creator of partnerships locally and nationwide to improve the life science education both in K-12 schools and at the undergraduate level.

On February 17, Theodore J. Cicero, Ph.D., speaks on “What is the relationship of public policy, public accountability and public trust?” The talk will be part of a session called “Public accountability and public trust: An issue for clinical research.” The session runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The general public often finds the conduct […]

mp3 fileCloninger says as social groups have developed, it has become clear that both kindness and service to others are essential, both for the happiness and mental health of the individual and for the good of the entire social group. mp3 fileOne of the important things that makes us uniquely human is our capacity for […]

On February 17, Heuser speaks on “Imaging activities inside living cells by quick-freezing and electron microscopy.” The presentation is part of a session called “Frontiers in biological imaging.” The session runs from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. John Heuser, professor of cell biology and biophysics, pioneered a technique for imaging cells and molecules in the […]

mp3 fileTeitelbaum says it may be years before embryonic stem cells can be used for therapies. Researchers must first perfect techniques to manipulate the cells to become pancreas, nerve or other cell types. And as research advances, he says the cells may one day offer hope for those with incurable diseases. mp3 fileAt the AAAS […]

Researchers are studying a new drug therapy and are recruiting volunteers for two clinical trials to test the benefits of exercise & the investigational drug.

Studying members of the Calorie Restriction Society, School of Medicine investigators found that their hearts functioned like the hearts of much younger people. More medical news

The “Call-2-Quit” project will compare two approaches to smoking cessation telephone counseling, differing in counseling style and in the range of topics covered.