Exploring the nano-worldUniversity's nanotechnology research booming | |
| By Deborah J. Ausman In the lab of physics professor Rodney S. Ruoff, Ph.D., it's the little things that count. That's because the Ruoff group at Washington University is doing science on the nanometer size-scale -- a million times smaller than a millimeter, or 50,000 times smaller than a human hair. Nanoscience and nanotechnology represent new frontiers. Many of the basic properties and interactions of nanoscale materials have yet to be characterized. But when the science matures into technology, a variety of industries -- from computing to engineering to medicine -- stand to benefit. The Ruoff group's $2.2 million research effort explores the nano-frontier, with an eye toward making fundamental scientific discoveries that can be developed into nanotechnology tools and applications. |
 MinFeng Yu (left) and Saveez Saffarian, both graduate students in physics in Arts and Sciences, use the Hitachi S-4500 field emission gun-scanning electron microscope to obtain and display images of carbon nanotubes. Also pictured is Rodney S. Ruoff, Ph.D., associate professor of physics and head of the nanotechnology research group here. |
Experimental therapy hits HIV-infected cells | |
 Dowdy: Finds new weapon against HIV |
By Linda Sage Like a man strapped to a pack of dynamite, HIV-infected cells will self-destruct when rigged with a lethal designer protein. The virus lights the fuse when it tries to reproduce. These findings were reported in the January issue of Nature Medicine. The study made use of a new technology for introducing large proteins into cells -- a long-held dream of the pharmaceutical industry. "This Trojan horse approach should be applicable to many other infectious diseases, such as hepatitis C, malaria and herpes," said Steven F. Dowdy, Ph.D., who led the research. "We also hope that future modifications will allow us to selectively kill cancer cells." Dowdy is an assistant investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and an assistant professor of pathology and medicine. |
Lifelong learningInstitute offers wide range of courses to devoted following |
Three weeks into the academic session and neither a quiz nor test in sight. The prerequisites? None. Forget credits and credentials. As for degrees and certificates -- not applicable. The requirements for this program are powerful human drives: intellectual curiosity and a passion for learning. Welcome to the Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) at Washington University, where members age 55 years and older delve into topics ranging from Italian opera to Native Americans of the Southwest. In informal, non-competitive environments, peer-led study groups analyze Shakespeare, explore the outer reaches of space and spar in the arena of current events. "By the time we get to a certain age, we have lots of experiences, skills and information to share with others, from both our vocational and avocational spheres," said Saul Boyarsky, M.D., J.D., vice chair of LLI and chair of the curriculum committee. "Everyone in the group contributes in an exceedingly democratic and egalitarian enterprise." Members come from all walks of life and include retirees from business, education, medicine and volunteer sectors, among others. Many, like Boyarsky, a retired professor of urology, hail from the University community. An annual fall meeting open to the public launches the academic year. Fall, winter and spring terms feature a dozen or more daytime courses. For those daunted by the thought of returning to the classroom, acclimation is only a workshop away. Instruction in computerized library systems and adult learning theory bring members up to academic speed. |
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