Newsroom Stories

New research led by the School of Medicine indicates that 1 in 4 of the children given antibiotics in U.S. children’s hospitals are prescribed the drugs inappropriately. The overuse of antibiotics poses an increasing threat to children who develop — or already have — drug-resistant infections.

Presolar grains — tiny bits of solid interstellar material formed before the sun was born — are sometimes found in primitive meteorites. But a noble gas analysis from physicists in Arts & Sciences reveals evidence of presolar grains in part of a meteorite where they are not expected to be found.

Singer. Writer. Performer. Visual artist. Over the course of her 45-year career, Patti Smith has established herself as one of the most prolific and influential artists of her generation. In fall 2020, Smith will receive the International Humanities Prize from Washington University in St. Louis.

In the debut of The Record’s new series, “I Made This,” senior J.T. Bridges shares the story behind his song “Discord,” which he recorded at the Harvey Media Center with the help of student group High Note Music Industry Collective. Like contemporary stars Daniel Caesar and Khalid, Bridges specializes in chill R&B with earnest lyrics and acoustic rhythms. 

High-protein diets may help people lose weight and build muscle, but a School of Medicine study in mice suggests they also lead to more plaque in the arteries. The findings also show that high-protein diets spur unstable plaque, the kind most prone to rupturing and causing blocked arteries.

New School of Medicine research indicates that “jumping genes” play a surprising role in stabilizing the 3D folding patterns of the DNA molecule inside a cell’s nucleus.

A new fellowship for Washington University undergraduates further deepens the university’s commitment to educating and preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs. The program, offered by the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship, will directly connect students to, and immerse them in, the St. Louis startup scene.

At the Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees meeting Dec. 6, several faculty members were appointed or promoted with tenure, with most becoming effective Jan. 1.

Joe Scherrer, director of the Cybersecurity Strategic Initiative at Washington University and a former cybersecurity innovator with the U.S. Air Force, says the cyberattack on Jeff Bezos is nothing unusual, and these kinds of attacks are becoming more common. But there are things you can do to stay safe.

“Masquerade,” Black Anthology’s 31st annual production, will question past and present ideas of utopia through the lens of Afrofuturism — a genre that fuses black culture with science fiction to create a universe where black identity is both central and celebrated. Black Anthology will be staged at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1, in Edison Theatre.