Washington University in St. Louis

Researchers at Washington University in St Louis have isolated a small cluster of “grandmother” neurons that tell the rest of the brain when to go to bed, and found that stimulating those could help combat jet lag.

An experimental, non-opioid drug known as EMA401 is showing promise, and now researchers at Washington University in St Louis have found that it works by targeting a different part of the body, outside of the nervous system.

As if it’s not bad enough that bacteria are increasingly becoming resistant to our best antibiotics, some bugs are even eating the drugs. Scientists have now examined just how the bacteria disarm and consume the antibiotics as food, uncovering new potential ways to fight back against resistance.

​​One key front in the battle against Alzheimer's is early detection of the disease. Researchers have just reported a promising advance in this area, in the form of a blood test that could reveal signs of Alzheimer's long before more obvious symptoms appear. ​

Scientists have successfully used the brains of locusts as a testbed for a new type of drug delivery system, one that could see life-saving medicines carried directly to the brain by way of a simple sniff. ​

Researchers at Washington University’s School of Medicine have found a way to deliver a one-two punch to tumors, by inhibiting their primary fuel supply and a secondary “salvage pathway” at the same time. The finding could lead to treatments that kill cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue.

Scientists have discovered a Zika antibody that can potentially protect developing fetuses, probably the number-one victim of the disease.​

New research has revealed the crafty maneuver that peptides use to slip past the cell's defenses and contribute to Alzheimer's, whereby they first change shape to form stacks of long, flat sheets. The finding may offer up new opportunities to intervene in the onset of the disease.​​

Engineers at the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) have developed graphene-based biofoam sheets that can be laid on dirty or salty dams and ponds to produce clean drinking water, using the power of the sun.

​For years, scientists have been experimenting with biobots, insects fitted with various electronic systems. Now, engineers will tap into the highly-tuned olfactory system of locusts, using them like tiny cyborg sniffer dogs to detect the smell of chemicals used in explosives.

As many as 50,000 people die of traumatic brain injuries in the United States every year, but the equipment used to monitor things like intracranial pressure is decades old. A team of researchers has worked to create a new sensor that’s far less invasive and much safer than the existing technology.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) have used zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles to boost the tomato plant's ability to absorb light and minerals, resulting in significantly more fruit by weight.