Newsroom Stories

A team of researchers headed by biologists at Washington University has sequenced the genome of a unique bacterium that manages two disparate operations — photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation — in one little cell during two distinct cycles daily.

 Lewis  “Helping tenants who were being evicted because their landlords lost the properties to the foreclosure crisis and working with tenant organizing groups and community organizers was an eye-opening and life-changing experience.” Whether it was the dinnertime conversations about the state of society or the exceptional example set by her parents, something has driven Kate Lewis to politics and community service from an early age. Hometown: Springfield, IL

Perez“During an election season, students tend to stand up and take action about things they care about. It’s exciting when students get involved in something they believe in, something that is a reflection of their morals and their values.” Perez is working long hours to help disseminate funding for student debate-related projects and working to make sure students are registered to vote. Hometown: Tampa, FL

Image from *What is Atherosclerosis*, courtesy of National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteAtherosclerosis in an arteryFuturistic nanotechnology has been teamed with a decades-old drug to beat atherosclerotic plaques in research conducted at the School of Medicine. The scientists have found that drug-laced nanoparticles plus a statin could stop the growth of tiny blood vessels that feed arterial plaques. Their results suggest that the dual treatment also prevents the vessels from restarting their growth, which could shrink or stabilize plaques.

Steven Fazzari, Ph.D., professor of economics and associate director of the Murray Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy in Arts & Sciences, will discuss the current economic crisis for the Assembly Series Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Though no scores are included in his published works, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) frequently employed music in his plays, writing poems for new songs and adopting existing ballads. On Oct. 6 the acclaimed period music trio Ensemble Chaconne, joined by mezzo-soprano Pamela Dellal, will present “Measure for Measure: The Music of Shakespeare’s Plays,” a concert of works associated with the Bard, in the university’s Edison Theatre.

A $10 million, government-funded, multicenter clinical trial of an aggressive treatment for blood clots in the leg known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) will be led by researchers at the School of Medicine. Approximately 250,000 U.S. patients are diagnosed with new DVTs every year.

Painschab“I’m not so much interested in the dogma of one political party or another, but in what the evidence has proven should actually work to make our health care system better.” Matthew Scott Painschab is concerned, first and foremost, with health care reform. The second-year medical student is co-coordinator of the School of Medicine’s Saturday Neighborhood Health Clinic, a free clinic for St. Louisans lacking health insurance. Hometown: Waverton, MN

McBride”We are headed into a time when a confluence of changes are going to lead to a perfect storm, making us finally realize that our health care system needs a major overhaul,” says Timothy D. McBride, Ph.D., leading health economist and professor of social work. McBride is available to discuss candidates’ health care plans and universal health care.

McBride”The problems with Social Security can be solved easily compared to those of Medicare,” says Timothy McBride, leading health economist and associate dean for public health. “Social Security can be fixed right now, although most people don’t want to solve it with tax hikes. We cannot solve Medicare as easily. Medicare is in a serious crisis relative to Social Security,” he says. McBride is available to discuss Social Security and Medicare.