Science & Technology

Pioneering research at Washington University helped people understand the fundamental role of gut microbes in human health and disease. Now a community of local scientists is learning more about the diverse microbial systems that support animals, plants and ecosystems.

Biologist Susanne S. Renner in Arts & Sciences explains why trees might actually be starting to turn red and yellow earlier, not later. Brilliant fall color might become a casualty of a warming world.

Arpita Bose, in Arts & Sciences, attended a White House summit on biotechnology, along with representatives from government and the private sector. In her research at Washington University, Bose harnesses the power of microbes to create new biofuels and bioplastics.

Zhen (Jason) He is leading a multi-institution team developing a scalable upgrade to current wastewater systems with a $2.3 million federal grant.

New research led by Kiersten Ruff, a senior research scientist in the lab of Rohit Pappu at the McKelvey School of Engineering, has uncovered the rules that govern how unfolded proteins are identified — and found that exceptions to the rules may play a role in dysfunctional cells.

Weedy rice is a closely related cousin of crop rice that aggressively competes with cultivated rice in the field. Scientists from Washington University and the University of Arkansas report that the crop pest has become widely herbicide resistant. The study highlights challenges facing U.S. rice farmers when they battle a weedy enemy that is closely related to a desirable crop plant.

Researchers led by the McKelvey School of Engineering’s Hong Chen recently invented a technique for generating ultrasound waves that can self-bend, like a rainbow.

Ismael Seáñez received a five-year $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lead interdisciplinary spinal cord injury research.

Jianjun Guan at the McKelvey School of Engineering was awarded a four-year $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a new dressing for chronic wounds in people with diabetes.

Research from the McKelvey School of Engineering and School of Medicine aims to overcome a critical barrier in kidney disease research with a new way to culture specific kidney cells.