WashU Expert: How to save the Supreme Court

WashU Expert: How to save the Supreme Court

During the July 30 Democratic presidential debate, candidate Pete Buttigieg renewed his calls to “depoliticize the Supreme Court with structural reform.” Buttigieg has endorsed a Supreme Court reform proposal offered by Daniel Epps, associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.
First pictures of enzyme that drives new class of antibiotics

First pictures of enzyme that drives new class of antibiotics

Researchers from Arts & Sciences have solved the X-ray crystal structure of the enzyme that makes obafluorin — a broad spectrum antibiotic agent made by a fluorescent strain of soil bacteria. This new class of antibiotics might provide a powerful antidote to the growing scourge of antibiotic resistance.
Interning local: Universal experience, valuable skills

Interning local: Universal experience, valuable skills

Going abroad for a semester or the summer is a great opportunity, but the perfect internship isn’t always found halfway around the globe. Sometimes, the perfect internship is right down the street. Here are three Washington University undergraduates who have found experience and opportunity right here in St. Louis.
Synthetic biology enables protein origami

Synthetic biology enables protein origami

Fuzhong Zhang, associate professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering, and members of his lab have developed a bottom-up approach to build 2D nanostructures, essentially starting from scratch.
A good first step toward nontoxic solar cells

A good first step toward nontoxic solar cells

A team of engineers at Washington University in St. Louis has found what they believe is a more stable, less toxic semiconductor for solar applications, using a novel double mineral discovered through data analytics and quantum-mechanical calculations.
Dishonest acts hurt one’s ability to read others’ emotions

Dishonest acts hurt one’s ability to read others’ emotions

Dishonest deeds diminish a person’s ability to read others’ emotions, or “interpersonal cognition,” finds a new study from four researchers, including one from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. Another finding: dishonesty breeds “a vicious cycle.”
Putting the brakes on lateral root development

Putting the brakes on lateral root development

Biologist Lucia Strader in Arts & Sciences discovered a cellular transporter that links two of the most powerful hormones in plant development — auxin and cytokinin — and shows how they regulate root initiation and progression. Understanding why and how plants make different types of root architectures can help develop plants that better cope with distinct soil conditions and environments.
Genes linked to death from sepsis ID’d in mice

Genes linked to death from sepsis ID’d in mice

Bacteria in the bloodstream can trigger an overwhelming immune response that causes sepsis, a life-threatening condition. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found genes that help protect the body’s cells from dying during sepsis, which could lead to new treatments.
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