Plant-inspired natural coatings can beat forever chemicals
WashU McKelvey Engineering researchers have developed a PFAS alternative that serves as an effective waterproof coating. It makes use of plant waste and can provide waterproof seals without the toxic downstream effects of PFAS on human health and the environment.
To restore attention, reach out to nature
Psychology researchers at WashU have found evidence that children’s exposure to natural spaces correlates with improved attention and achievement scores.
WashU study helps Martian astronauts prepare for dust
WashU assistant research professor Scott VanBommel is the lead author of a new paper that examines how dust interacts with Mars rover Perseverance’s spacesuit swatches and other materials.
Dixit installed as George and Charmaine Mallinckrodt Professor
Ram Dixit, a renowned scientist who studies how plants evolve over time, has been named the George and Charmaine Mallinckrodt Professor in biology in Arts & Sciences.
Loneliness as a Public Health Problem
Does loneliness pose the same health risk as smoking? And from medicine to government, what kind of interventions are even possible? In this episode, WashU’s Sandro Galea, dean of the Bursky School of Public Health, and Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor at Brigham Young Unversity, explore what’s driving the loneliness problem in today’s world.
Julianne Holt-Lunstad
Friend installed as Stephen F. and Camilla T. Brauer Distinguished Professor
James Friend has been named the Stephen F. and Camilla T. Brauer Distinguished Professor at the WashU McKelvey School of Engineering.
Faculty invited to apply for Digital Transformation Research Corps
WashU faculty can apply for the 2027 cohort of the Digital Transformation Research Corps, a 10-week summer program that pairs WashU faculty with student software developers to create artificial intelligence-driven tools that advance research. Applications are due Nov. 30.
Locusts get a sensory assist from nanomaterials
Researchers from WashU McKelvey Engineering have developed a hybrid system that augments organisms including locusts to serve as sample collectors for chemical vapors. The work has implications for homeland security, environmental and industrial monitoring and healthcare.
Leath earns award from brain science professionals
WashU Arts & Sciences’ Seanna Leath has received an award from the Federation of Associations in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
In plants, sense of time is connected with sense of danger
A well-known clock gene helps plants sense salt and respond to it, according to new research from biologist Xuehua Zhong in WashU Arts & Sciences. The findings could help scientists develop more resilient crops.
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