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 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.

Duncan, Sadhu named Loeb Teaching Fellows

Sadhu and Duncan
Jennifer G. Duncan, MD, and Justin S. Sadhu, MD, have been named the 2019-21 Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellows at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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.”

Why have so many Missouri children lost Medicaid coverage?

Tim McBride
Evidence suggests that covering children is not that expensive, and the long-term effectiveness of paying for prevention early in a child’s life can lower costs later in life, raising their well-being and income potential.

Putting the brakes on lateral root development

Arabidopsis roots
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.