Design matters

St. Louis, which housed close to one million people in 1950, now is home to only 300,000. A big question that planners and designers have been struggling with -- not just in St. Louis, but in other major cities around the country -- is what is the best way to use that vacant land?

More than a dozen School of Architecture students are getting a chance to help answer that question while gaining hands-on design and planning experience in a central area of the city of St. Louis. The 15 master's level students are participating in a studio being team taught by Gyo Obata, chair of the architectural firm Hellmuth Obata & Kassabaum Inc. and the Ruth and Norman Moore Visiting Professor, and Eric Mumford, assistant professor in the architecture school.

The studio focuses on the part of St. Louis known as JeffVander-Lou, which is bounded by St. Louis Avenue on the north, Delmar Avenue on the south, Jefferson Avenue on the east and Grand Boulevard on the west.

"It's immediately northeast of Grand Center, where there are many empty buildings and lots," Mumford said. "Some areas are almost all vacant buildings and lots; elsewhere there are some occupied residences or commercial establishments, but it's an area with many problems."

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Nanocages

Chemists at Washington University have created tiny synthetic polymer particles that mimic viruses and show potential for a new direction in gene therapy and other biomedical applications.

The "nano" particle (a nano-meter is roughly one-billionth of a yard) has the unlikely name of "knedel" (k-ned-l) because of its similarity to a popular Polish dumpling filled either with meat or sweets. The knedels are shell cross-linked structures surrounding a hydrophobic -- water insoluble -- core domain. They have diameters ranging from 10 to 100 nanometers, so that they are of similar size to many globular proteins and viruses. In the body, they are expected to escape detection by the immune system.

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Come one, come all: Staff Day is May 22

Leave your lunchboxes at home May 22 and join co-workers at the 25th annual Staff Day for a free lunch and a full day of events and activities.

Staff Day, which honors staff and administrative personnel from the Hilltop and West campuses for their contributions to the University's success, will kick off at 10:30 a.m. with the Staff Service Award and Recognition Ceremony in Edison Theatre. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will host the program, assisted by the University's vice chancellors. The ceremony will honor those with 10, 15, 20, 26 and 30-plus years of service and includes the presentation of the third annual Gloria W. White Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes a staff member for exceptional effort and contributions that result in the betterment of the University.

A buffet lunch of honey grilled chicken, hamburgers, bratwurst, pasta marinara with vegetables, potato and fruit salad, cookies, brownies, iced tea and lemonade will follow at noon in Bowles Plaza. In case of inclement weather, the lunch will be held in Mallinckrodt Center.

Staff wanting to work off that meal can use the tennis courts, track, indoor and outdoor pools and the Fitness Center from 1 to 3 p.m., or they can participate in various games and activities. Those looking for less strenuous activities can visit the arts and crafts exhibit in Mallinckrodt Center, try their luck at bingo in Holmes Lounge or have a caricature drawn.

It's not too late to sign up for the following:

• Golf at Forest Park -- call Pauline Farmer at 935-5822. Golfers will have box lunches at the park before their 12:15 p.m. tee time;

• A campus tour -- call Jim Burmeister at 935-5801;

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