Science Market Update

Nerves play a vital role in the well-being of our body. Nerve damage is among the most crippling physical damage we can sustain, which is why it is in our best interest to protect them when at all possible. So when new bioresearch from Washington University in St. Louis lays out a method to prevent the body from destroying axons, which transmit nerve signals throughout the body, it’s a sure signal of improvement in the field of nervous studies.

In an effort to better combat the infamous human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a solution that carries quite a sting. Utilizing a toxin found in bee venom, they have developed a nanoparticle that is quite effective at destroying the virus.

Missouri has a rich market of potential buyers of lab supplies and biotechnology products, according to recent NSF and NIH research funding statistics for Washington University in St. Louis. In 2012, the NSF awarded the university $14.4 million in research funding. The NSF-funded projects are located within a number of programs in the life sciences, including evolutionary processes clusters, molecular biophysics, cellular dynamics and function, neural systems clusters, behavioral systems clusters, macrosystem biology and bioinformatics. We have spotlighted the top five-funded projects below:

In the game of life, cheating doesn’t pay off. Laws, karma, and conscience all work towards keeping things just and fair. However, in the world of bacteria, these rules don’t seem to apply. Researchers from the Washington University at St. Louis have reported a strain of amoeba that favors selfishness over fairness, and doesn’t seem to even pay a price for it.

In the realm of biomedical imaging, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis are taking cues from an amazing set of eyes found in nature. Far from the instinctual candidates for impressive eyesight, like cats or birds of prey, this pair belongs to a creature under the sea: the mantis shrimp.

Washington University in St Louis (WUSTL) has just received a $2M research grant that will go towards combating a disorder which afflicts, often fatally, nearly 5.8 million Americans each year: heart failure. Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in the US and although many promising drugs have been introduced over the years, we have yet to find a definitive treatment for the variety of cases that doctors encounter. This $2M NIH award wil go to a team of WUSTL scientists for basic research that will contribute to our understanding of heart disease and ideally lead to more effective treatment. The end goal of this research project is the design and construction of artificial tissue models of the heart, which will allow scientists to more quickly and efficiently test new drugs. 

If this year's St. Louis BioResearch Product Faire™ Event (BRPF) is anything like past BRPF events, over 400 researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and the surrounding area will attend to actively seek solutions for their research challenges. When they arrive, they will find dozens of suppliers of scientific tools and equipment ready to demonstrate their products and answer their research-related questions.  This is an important gathering in the St. Louis life science community, drawing researchers from on-campus buildings, and nearby biotech and pharmaceutical companies.