Newsroom Stories

Listed below are this month’s featured news stories. • Tongues can sense fat (week of Dec. 7) • Bipolar preschoolers (week of Dec. 14) • Gambling risk factors (week of Dec. 21) • Genetic link to alcoholism (week of Dec. 28)

Structure of the fatty acid receptor CD36French researchers recently reported that mice have a receptor in their tongues that can sense fat, and the presence of that receptor seems to drive the mice to crave fat in their diets. The research was based on work from scientists at the School of Medicine, where investigators previously had identified a protein receptor for fat and documented its function in recognizing and using fatty food.

WillClifford M. Will, Ph.D., has been named the James S. McDonnell Professor of Physics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, announced Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor, dean of Arts & Sciences and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences. Will is known worldwide as one of the leading experts in using experimental and observational data to explain Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Repair proteins (bright green areas) are inhibited from gathering at sites of DNA damage.To remain healthy, all cells must quickly mend any breaks that arise in their DNA strands. But cancer cells are particularly dependent on a process called homologous recombination to repair DNA and stay alive. Now researchers at the School of Medicine have identified a protein with a role in homologous recombination, and the discovery could be exploited as part of a two-pronged treatment strategy to kill cancer cells by eliminating their ability to repair DNA.

Photo by Mary ButkusWashUCity, a University mentoring program, raised about $30,000 to fund a dozen new computer stations at U. City High School.

Medical researchers have found that a protein known as MDC1 has a role in homologous recombination — a discovery that could be exploited. More medical news

The new book by the associate professor of education in Arts & Sciences is titled Social Emergence: Societies as Complex Systems.

Photo by Mary ButkusThe School of Law’s Stephen H. Legomsky visits with the School of Medicine’s Alison M. Goate at the Faculty Achievement Awards Ceremony.

Winners of the 2005 competition were Somark Innovations Inc., iMobile Access Technologies, HomeWUrk and Suzanne Shenkman Designs.

The following incidents were reported to University Police Nov. 30-Dec. 6. Readers with information that could assist in investigating these incidents are urged to call 935-5555. This information is provided as a public service to promote safety awareness and is available on the University Police Web site at police.wustl.edu. Nov. 30 10:56 a.m. — A […]