Hello Mizzou SHE-Jers,

The spring semester is starting off on the right foot, and we’re ready for that warm weather! We were excited to see some science, health and environmental stories published this past month. Here are some of our favorite stories from January!

Missourian reporter, Clayton Vickers, reported on how the MU Viral Immunology Lab is discovering ways to combat RNA viruses. Bumsuk Hahm, a professor at the MU School of Medicine, is overseeing this research and has led his team to a groundbreaking discovery – how viruses work with specific enzymes to regulate host immunity. To read more about his research process and future virology steps, click here.

KBIA reporter, Darian Benson, reported on how hospitals are screening productions of actors acting out scripts of drug use to break stigma amongst healthcare officials. Watching these videos has been proved to incite empathy in providers, increasing patient care. To learn more about how this method worked, click here.

From Innovations in Science and Technology 2023 with the Columbia Missourian, reporter Sky Sload reported on the discovery of a new treatment for Type 1 diabetes by two MU professors, Haval Shirwan and Esma Yolcu. According to the article, the process includes a mechanism coined, “apoptosis”, where differing proteins destroy cells causing detrimental effects on the body. To learn more about the research process, click here.

Science News reporter, Alexandra Witze, reported on viable methods to reach net-zero carbon emissions. According to the article, the path to a less destructive environment means producing, “vast amounts of new electricity from sources such as wind, solar and hydropower and transforming as much of our lives and industries into as possible to run off those sources”. To learn more about the intricacies of these methods, click here.

Science News reporter, Carolyn Gramling, reported on how the mining of bastnaesite, otherwise known as “rare earths” could lead to national security threats and leave detrimental environmental impacts on the planet. Bastnaesite contains fluorine, carbon, cerium, and europium, which are elements that hold high value across the world. To learn more about the ethical dilemma behind mining for this collection of “rare earth”, read here.

If you have any science, health, or environmental news articles that should get a highlight, reach out to Kat Ramkumar at krmkp@umsystem.edu.