While Washington University offers numerous classes about different cultures and ethnicities, one area that has been lacking in the past is Latino studies. The University, along with Saint Louis University (SLU), University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and other local universities, is working to form the St. Louis Coalition for Latino Research.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have found that the antibiotic Kanamycin (KM), which was previously believed to damage ears, actually has a protective effect against hearing loss in young mice when used in low doses. KM is an antibiotic used to isolate bacteria and treat a variety of infections. It can also lead to severe hearing loss in both human and animals, however.

NASA announced that mission MoonRise, a proposal to send a lander to collect samples from the Moon for analysis, is one of three finalists in the New Frontiers Program. Bradley Jolliff, a Washington University research professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, is the principal investigator of this mission.

National researchers in cell biology have identified proteins that turn normal skin cells into brown fat cells, which use energy to generate heat.

Across the hall from an analysis of pedophilic overtones in haute couture, a group of students demonstrated a robot they built that follows moving sounds. Just outside, art students sold glass earrings alongside multicolored paintings of dead fish on plywood. This year’s fall Undergraduate Research Symposium saw a record number of participants and, according to the program coordinator, an unusually diverse variety of topics.

Science researchers at the University say they are enjoying a spike in federal funding, thanks in large part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

A Washington University committee has cleared former medical school researcher Timothy Kuklo of allegations that he falsified research in a military study, but found that he had engaged in other research misconduct.

Timothy Kuklo, a researcher and professor at the Washington University School of Medicine, has voluntarily resigned after allegedly falsifying a study, a school spokesman confirmed Wednesday evening.

With the administration planning administrative cutbacks and students concerned about financial aid and job prospects, Washington University continues to feel the effects of the ongoing economic crisis. The state of the economy has had a profound impact on the job market. According to the Bureau of Labor, the national unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent [...]

The Wild Canid Survival and Research Center, a wolf sanctuary that has pulled several species away from the brink of extinction, will be moving from its home of 37 years at Washington University’s Tyson Research Center to one of the most pristine areas of the Ozarks—provided it can acquire sufficient funding.