Newsroom Stories

Of all the reasons why researchers would prefer more robust monitoring of pollutants in the atmosphere, one stands out: Having this basic information is an indication of progress in the realm of environmental science. A McKelvey School of Engineering scientist outlines the extent of the gap between what researchers know and don’t know.

Researchers at the School of Medicine have found the molecular signature of a healthy gut microbial community – the kind that can keep the intestinal bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) from overgrowing and causing diarrhea.

When the Washington University in St. Louis Class of 2023 arrives Aug. 17, they will experience a nine-day Bear Beginnings orientation program that is more inclusive, more fun and, yes, more days. Traditions such as Convocation and the Common Reading Program discussion will continue, but Bear Beginnings also will include new programs.

Research from Washington University in St. Louis finds that mutations of a gene implicated in long QT syndrome in humans may trigger seizures because of their direct effects on certain classes of neurons in the brain — independent from what the genetic mutations do to heart function. The new work from Arts & Sciences was conducted with fruit flies and is published August 8 in PLOS Genetics.

Rhaisa Williams, assistant professor of performing arts in Arts & Sciences, remembers Toni Morrison’s “magnificent wield of imagination.”

Police violence is a leading cause of death for young men in the United States, finds a new study from Washington University in St. Louis. Over the life course, about 1 in every 1,000 black men can expect to be killed by police.

In a new study involving a researcher from Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School, the co-authors discovered something they say surprised them: Medicare Part D’s setup actually inhibits insurers from seeking higher subsidies from the government. It keeps subsidies in check by virtue of the way it’s designed.

Washington University in St. Louis is proud to launch a new annual project designed to explore — through the experiences, scholarship, work and voices of St. Louisans — what it means to be in St. Louis today.

A long-term study of western gorillas in Gabon has revealed an unexpected behavior: they use their teeth to crack open and eat nuts. New research by Adam van Casteren, lecturer in biological anthropology in Arts & Sciences, may have important implications for the way researchers predict the diet of human ancestors based on the shape of their teeth.

A blood test to detect the brain changes of early Alzheimer’s disease has moved one step closer to reality. Researchers from the School of Medicine report that they can measure levels of the Alzheimer’s protein amyloid beta in the blood and use such levels to predict whether the protein has accumulated in the brain.