Science & Technology

Red colobus monkeys are the most threatened group of African monkeys. With a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a Washington University team will model viral transmission dynamics among red colobus monkeys and their human neighbors near Kibale National Park, Uganda.

A team led by Lan Yang at the McKelvey School of Engineering developed a novel whispering-gallery-mode microprobe that optimizes detection of molecular fingerprints.

Biologist Himadri Pakrasi in Arts & Sciences, who studies how cyanobacteria contribute to the chemistry of life, will lead a $5 million effort to develop technology to convert atmospheric nitrogen into fertilizer. Yinjie Tang and Yixin Chen at the McKelvey School of Engineering are co-investigators on the project.

“Digital Learning and Teaching in Chemistry,” co-edited by Gabriela Mirowitz in Arts & Sciences, features WashU chemistry instructors and explores high-tech approaches to learning beyond the lab.

Rohit V. Pappu, an internationally renowned researcher in biomolecular condensates and intrinsically disordered proteins, was installed Oct. 9 as the Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering.

Washington University has launched the AI for Health Institute to design data-driven tools to characterize complex diseases, support clinical decisions and drive precision health. The institute was introduced at the AI & Digital Health Summit, held Oct. 18-19 at the university. 

Physicist Mikhail Tikhonov, in Arts & Sciences, developed a new statistical model that could help design microbial communities for performing certain functions.

A paper published by an interdisciplinary team led by Chenyang Lu at the McKelvey School of Engineering received a Distinguished Paper Award from the Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies.

Researchers at the McKelvey School of Engineering have long sought to understand the power of locusts’ sensing, computing and locomotory capabilities.

In ‘Retro Game Design,’ Ian Bogost, the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor and director of film and media studies in Arts & Sciences, introduces students to the history, aesthetics and idiosyncratic technology of the iconic Atari 2600 gaming console.