‘Blink’ and you won’t miss amyloids

‘Blink’ and you won’t miss amyloids

Tiny protein structures called amyloids are key to understanding certain devastating age-related diseases, but they are so minuscule they can’t be seen using conventional microscopic methods. A team of engineers at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a new technique that uses temporary fluorescence, causing the amyloids to flash or “blink”, allowing researchers to better spot these problematic proteins.
Ancient livestock dung heaps are now African wildlife hotspots

Ancient livestock dung heaps are now African wildlife hotspots

Often viewed as wild, naturally pristine and endangered by human encroachment, some of the African savannah’s most fertile and biologically diverse wildlife hotspots owe their vitality to heaps of dung deposited there over thousands of years by the livestock of wandering herders, suggests new research in the journal Nature.
Field Notes | Azores, Portugal

Field Notes | Azores, Portugal

Students in an undergraduate class in Arts & Sciences traveled to the remote Portuguese Azores archipelago to study field geology techniques in a rugged landscape shaped by volcanoes and shifting tectonic plates.
WashU Expert: NAFTA in a jiffy?

WashU Expert: NAFTA in a jiffy?

A new trade deal to replace NAFTA will require completion by the end of the week, with or without Canada — so it’s too early and too hazy to consider this a good deal or a bad deal no matter what President Trump calls it, said a Washington University in St. Louis trade expert.
In sync: How cells make connections could impact circadian rhythm

In sync: How cells make connections could impact circadian rhythm

If you’ve ever experienced jet lag, you are familiar with your circadian rhythm, which manages nearly all aspects of metabolism. Every cell in the body has a circadian clock, but until now, researchers were unclear about how networks of cells connect with each other over time. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and collaborating institutions have developed a new method that sheds light on these circadian rhythm networks.
First of many lasts: Chancellor celebrates final Convocation

First of many lasts: Chancellor celebrates final Convocation

Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton, who will step down next spring after 24 years, delivered his 21st and final Convocation address to the 1,800 cheering members of the Class of 2022. The largely ad-libbed speech had more laughs, more applause and more emotion than its predecessors.
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