John W. Bennett Obituary

John W. Bennett, Ph.D., founder and first chair of the Department of Anthropology in Arts & Sciences, died Feb. 1 at Alexian Brothers Landsdowne Village in St. Louis. He was 89.

Chua to discuss exporting free markets & democracy

Amy L. Chua, professor of law at Yale University and member of the American Society of International Law’s executive council, will discuss her new book Feb. 4 for the Assembly Series and the School of Law. The book, World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability, posits that the […]

The New York Times spotlights WUSTL’s rapid ascent to national elite

Washington University’s ascent from streetcar college to elite ranks of the nation’s finest research universities was the subject of a front page feature in the Dec. 22 issue of The New York Times. The article notes that WUSTL recently pierced the top 10 circle of U.S. News and World Report rankings, humbling several Ivy League institutions along the way. “Such an ascent is what almost every university strives for, but none have come close to matching Washington’s success,” states the New York Times.

Bacterial target may be ideal for new drug treatments

E. Coli (yellow) attaches to a host cell using sticky fibersNew insights into the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections appear to open up an opportunity for disabling a wide range of infectious bacteria. Researchers at the School of Medicine recently revealed how a protein known as PapD helps E. coli assemble sticky fibers called pili that allow the bacterium to latch onto and infect host cells. Scientists are using what they’ve learned to begin designing pilicides, new treatments that stop pili formation and disrupt the infection process.

New SARS protein linked to important cell doorway

Diagram and image from an experiment that proved SARS makes a protein in infected cellsAs public health officials in China brace for a potential resurgence in SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in connection with Chinese New Year on February 9, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have published insights into a new protein that could be an important contributor to the SARS virus’ ability to cause disease and death.
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