Friday, Oct. 2, 2020

Top Stories

Antibodies protect against range of influenza B strains

Researchers have identified two antibodies that protect mice against lethal infections of influenza B virus. Together with an antibody that targets influenza A, the antibodies potentially could contribute to a drug to treat almost all flu cases.

Research and development work ranked

The 2020 RQ50, highlighting the 50 companies whose research and development is most productive, were unveiled last month at The Industrial Innovation Path to Economic Recovery Conference, hosted by Olin Business School’s Boeing Center.

How plants survive in the dark

Deprived of light, plants are unable to transform carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into sugar molecules. New research led by biologist Richard Vierstra in Arts & Sciences provides an in-depth look at how maize responds at a cellular level.

Universities join forces to understand locust swarming

Although one locust is harmless, a swarm can be devastating. A new multi-institutional, multidisciplinary project involving a McKelvey School of Engineering researcher aims to understand how swarms arise — and how to combat them.

Events

10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2

Midwest Climate Summit kickoff

11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3

Kemper virtual tour: ‘Multiplied: Edition MAT’

6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5

‘Two Pandemics, One Election’

View more events →

Campus Announcements

Review latest policies on information security

The university’s Office of Information Security has completed its annual update of information security policies. Also, the office will be holding events during October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, to keep the community informed.

Social Photo of the Week

Student health ambassador on importance of COVID-19 testing

WashU in the News

Ethics experts see national security concern in Trump’s debt

The Associated Press

During COVID, eating disorder patients turn to apps

Wired

Stem cells offer new glimpse at how the placenta emerges — and how the fetus-sustaining organ can fail

Science

Protecting wildlife protects us, too

St. Louis Public Radio

See more WashU in the News →

Campus Voices

‘It’s a crazy way to run a country’

The School of Law’s Daniel Epps, a Supreme Court expert, was featured in a Q&A in Politico, discussing his ideas for how to reform the Supreme Court and consider the influence it wields.

Notables

Washington University’s Equity and Inclusion Council, part of Chancellor Andrew D. Martin’s action steps toward addressing racial equity and justice, is moving forward with 42 newly appointed members. They will attend a kickoff meeting Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Research Wire

Ning Zhang, assistant professor at the McKelvey School of Engineering, is joining a multi-institutional team of computer scientists to improve and balance the real-time predictability and security of cyberphysical systems with a three-year $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The Record