1,000 human genomes to be sequenced

The School of Medicine will play a leading role in an international collaboration to sequence the genomes of 1,000 individuals by participating in the ambitious 1,000 Genomes Project, designed to create the most detailed picture to date of human genetic variation and assist in the identification of many genetic factors underlying common diseases.

Moss protein plays role in Alzheimer’s disease

Preventing Alzheimer’s disease is a goal of Raphael Kopan, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology and pharmacology at the Washington University School of Medicine. The moss plant Physcomitrella patens, studied in the laboratory of Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D., the Spencer T. Olin Professor and chair of the biology department on WUSTL’s Danforth Campus, might inch Kopan toward that goal.

Arts appreciation

Photo by Robert BostonThe School of Medicine Arts Commission’s annual art show features a variety of art by School of Medicine students, faculty and staff and will be on display through Feb. 15.

Chemical chaperone could open door to treatment of neurological disorder

“Chemical chaperones” might be able to help a mutant protein (green) do its job of removing excess cholesterol (blue) from cells.An unexpected finding turned out to be a clue leading researchers at the School of Medicine to propose a new treatment approach for Niemann-Pick disease, a rare, deadly neurodegenerative disorder. To overcome the genetic defect in Niemann-Pick disease, the researchers suggest that chemical compounds could potentially “chaperone” mutant protein molecules through the cell’s quality control machinery.
View More Stories