Interdisciplinary

Twin study links exercise to beneficial epigenetic changes

A new WSU-led study indicates consistent exercise can change not just waistlines but the very molecules in the human body that influence how genes behave. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers found the more physically active sibling in identical twin pairs had lower signs of metabolic disease as measured by waist size and body mass […]

Live performance pairs music & scent

Music and aromas can sometimes transport us to the past, instigating memories from people, places, and moments of our lives. César Haas, professor of guitar and jazz studies at the School of Music, and Carolyn Ross, professor of sensory science from the School of Food Science, have developed a unique live performance experience call “Synesthesia: […]

Eight proteins regulate insulin in hibernating bears

Feeding honey to hibernating bears helped Washington State University researchers find the potential genetic keys to the bears’ insulin control, an advance that could ultimately lead to a treatment for human diabetes. Every year, bears gain an enormous amount of weight, then barely move for months, behavior that would

Research exchange to explore resilient, high-yielding crops

Students from Washington State University will travel to Germany next summer for a new research exchange program exploring complex plant traits underlying resilience and yield. Funded by a $300,000 award from the National Science Foundation’s International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) initiative, the 10-week program expands WSU’s partnership with Germany’s CEPLAS—Cluster of Excellence on Plant […]

Launching WSU Climate Initiative teams

Eight Arts & Sciences faculty representing four distinct areas are members of the new interdisciplinary research teams formed during the 2022 Washington State University Climate Hackathon. During the two-day event last spring, participants defined the scope of climate change-related challenges, shared expertise in

Maintaining our digital heritage

“Software preservation is almost a losing battle,” says Roger Whitson, WSU associate professor of English who conducts research in the field of media history. “It’s a complicated problem. There is no perfect file format that will be accessible forever. Inevitably, these media types degrade, the actual signal we’re trying to preserve degrades, so you always […]

Closing a gap in Alzheimer’s disease research

Over the age of 50, one in three men and one in six women suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and recent research suggests that OSA increases the risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. As part of her research on health disparities and race and ethnicity, sociologist Anna Zamora-Kapoor will conduct a study on […]

The chemistry of clean fuel

A new energy-efficient method developed by a team of WSU scientists to locally produce hydrogen gas from ethanol and water has the potential to make clean hydrogen fuel a more viable alternative to fossil fuels. “Our technology produces pure hydrogen at high pressure with high efficiency and at a low energy cost while also capturing […]

Opioids kill minorities at younger ages

Although opioid use cuts across socio-economic boundaries, WSU researchers have found racial and ethnic minorities in Washington state are more likely to die from an overdose earlier in their lives than non-Hispanic white residents. “This work confirms the epidemic is far reaching and having dramatic impacts on quality and length of life for Americans of […]