The September storm brought record rainfall which quickly overwhelmed drainage systems on campus and throughout the city. But the event did not cause widespread damage on campus thanks to improvements made nine years ago.
Farmers have a new enemy, a species of fruit fly that lays eggs in ripe produce. To help curtail the problem, scientists are getting to the bottom of how this trait arose in the course of evolution.
Darst receives the honor for pioneering research on RNA polymerase, the molecular machine that transcribes RNA from DNA. His work is leading to new knowledge about the transcription process, as well as to insights enabling development of urgent antibiotic and antiviral treatments.
Katalin Karikó discovered how to keep synthetic RNA from activating the innate immune system, paving the way for RNA vaccines including two for SARS-CoV-2.
Human cells can be coaxed into preventing certain enveloped viruses (including HIV, Ebola, and parainfluenza) from escaping their membranes in the lab, a finding that could lead to novel treatments for many viral diseases.
