Page 112 – The Source | Washington University in St. Louis

Archaeologists report earliest evidence for plant farming in east Africa

Natalie Mueller in Arts & Sciences excavated and identified a trove of ancient plant remains in Kenya that represents the largest and most extensively dated archaeobotanical record from east Africa.

Medicine

Newly ID’d enzyme helps pathogenic fungus build protective cell wall

Researchers at the School of Medicine have identified a novel enzyme involved in building the cell wall of Cryptococcus neoformans, a fungus that causes lung infections and potentially deadly cases of meningitis, primarily in people with AIDS.

Space

XL-Calibur telescope launched to study black holes

Scientists from Washington University in St. Louis have launched a balloon-borne telescope to unlock the secrets of astrophysical black holes and neutron stars, some of the most extreme objects in the universe. XL-Calibur launched July 9.

Arts & Culture

‘Reframing the 19th Century’

In “Reframing the 19th Century,” the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum places works from its permanent collection alongside six long-term loans from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to highlight diverse themes and broaden our understanding of 19th-century art.

Mental Health

Researchers find biological clues to mental health impacts of prenatal cannabis exposure

A white woman with dreads and a headband sniffs from a jar of cannabis

Researchers at Washington University have found some potential biological clues to explain how prenatal cannabis exposure leads to behavioral issues down the line.

Medicine

Experimental drug supercharges medicine that reverses opioid overdose

naloxone displacing opioids from the opioid receptor

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, with collaborators at the University of Florida and Stanford University, identified a compound that, in mice, makes naloxone much more effective at counteracting a drug overdose.

Law

SCOTUS Chevron decision not as dramatic as some had feared

The demise of Chevron is unlikely to result in the dramatic curtailment of agency power that some had desired and some had feared, said Ronald Levin, the the William R. Orthwein Distinguished Professor of Law.

Alzheimer's

Link between childhood adverse events, Alzheimer’s disease to be studied

Brian A. Gordon, an assistant professor of radiology at the School of Medicine, has received an award from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center and the Alzheimer’s Association to study how adverse events in childhood affect the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Politics

WashU Expert: What’s at stake in Biden’s gamble

Known as a “gamble for resurrection,” leaders in crisis have long pursued risky actions in a final attempt to resurrect their careers. Dan Butler, professor of political science in Arts & Sciences, says the Democratic party is currently weighing its own gamble following Biden’s disappointing first debate.

Awards & Notables

Early, Losos elected members of American Philosophical Society

Gerald Early, the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters in Arts & Sciences, and Jonathan B. Losos, the William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor in Arts & Sciences and director of the Living Earth Collaborative, have been elected members of the American Philosophical Society.