U.S. rushes to fill void in viral sequencing as worrisome coronavirus variants spread (Links to an external site)

By Meredith Wadman Since May 2020, Jeffrey Milbrandt has had his systems fine-tuned to sequence 1000 coronavirus samples a week. The director of a major sequencing center at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), Milbrandt knew months ago that the United States urgently needed  to identify and track emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, the pandemic coronavirus already […]

Washington University pumps millions into Cortex building, as another rises nearby (Links to an external site)

Washington University is investing millions of dollars in a decades-old building near Cortex, helping boost occupancy there as another 11-story research development rises nearby. The university last summer completed renovations to the McDonnell Genome Institute and Genome Technology Access Center, both at 4444 Forest Park Ave. And more work, including a genome engineering center and […]

Photos: Washington U. School of Med. deploys COVID saliva testing (Links to an external site)

Washington University School of Medicine, using a $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, has begun administering the COVID-19 saliva test it developed in the Special School District of St. Louis County in search of asymptomatic carriers among teachers initially. The test, which is reportedly 99% accurate, is distributed weekly on a voluntary […]

WUSTL-led Team Compiles Human Structural Variant Resource (Links to an external site)

“A team led by Washington University in St. Louis researchers has profiled rare and ultra-rare structural variants in nearly 18,000 high-coverage whole-genome sequences in an effort to fill in remaining gaps in the understanding of the larger variants that impact protein-coding and non-coding portions of the genome.”

$5 million supports research into neglected tropical diseases (Links to an external site)

“Led by Makedonka Mitreva, PhD, a professor of medicine and of genetics, both projects involve large-scale genome sequencing of the parasites to develop genetic tools to help monitor the infections’ spread and track resistance these parasites already have developed against drugs intended to eradicate them. “ https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/5-million-supports-research-into-neglected-tropical-diseases/

Kingdom Capital Collaborates with Washington University School of Medicine to Launch Augmented Intelligence Company PercayAI (Links to an external site)

– PercayAI, launched by Kingdom Capital, represents the investment firm’s commitment to cultivating new technologies that can help accelerate drug discovery and improve patient outcomes – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will continue to develop technology that will be commercialized through PercayAI as part of an ongoing collaboration with Kingdom Capital

Academy of Science-St. Louis honors faculty (Links to an external site)

Dutcher received a 2019 George Engelmann Interdisciplinary Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in science, engineering or technology that results from collaboration among two or more individuals across disciplinary or institutional boundaries.