WUSTL engineers led by computer science professor William Richard have created a USB-based ultrasound probe that can connect to a smartphone, creating a low-cost ultrasound imaging platform.

References:

1. May 12, 2009 — What's Next: Ultrasound Images Via Cellphone in the The Washington Post

WUSTL computer scientists William Richard and David Zar have developed a USB Ultrasound probe that works with Windows Mobile smartphones, giving doctors a medical imaging device that they can carry with them wherever they go.

References:

1. April 23, 2009 — Scientists Develop USB Ultrasound for Phones in the PC Magazine

WUSTL computer science and engineering professors William Richard and David Zar have made commercial USB ultrasound probes compatible with Microsoft Windows mobile-based smartphones.

References:

1. April 22, 2009 — Soon, smartphones to provide ultrasound imaging in the Hindustan Times (India)

and 10 others.

A U.S. engineer says he is trying to develop methods of reducing vehicle drag so as to improve the gas mileage of planes, automobiles and trucks. WUSTL mechanical engineering professor Ramesh Agarwal said that although the technology has not yet been deployed on any commercially available vehicle, it is being investigated by airplane and automobile companies worldwide.

References:

1. March 18, 2009 — Engineer finds ways to improve gas mileage in the United Press International

and 2 others.

WUSTL chancellor Mark S. Wrighton is trying to establish meaningful relationships with foreign universities, in hopes of engaging large numbers of WUSTL students and faculty members, encouraging robust research collaborations, and cultivating a more global campus.

References:

1. Feb. 27, 2009 — U.S. Colleges Get Serious With Partners Overseas in the The Chronicle of Higher Education

Arch Coal Inc., one of the world's biggest coal producers, reports earnings for the fourth quarter and full-year 2008 before the market opens Friday. Last month, Arch Coal and Peabody announced they are combining with Ameren Corp. and WUSTL to try and make St. Louis the nation's center for clean coal research and education.

References:

1. Jan. 29, 2009 — Arch Coal set to release 4Q earnings in the Associated Press State & Local Wire

and 3 others.

Information obtained from a new application of photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is worth its weight in gold to breast cancer patients. The work of WUSTL biomedical engineering researchers Lihong Wang and Younan Xia, supported by the NIH, can minimize invasive surgical lymph node biopsy procedures to determine if breast cancer has metastasized and reduce the patient's exposure to radioactivity.

References:

1. Jan. 13, 2009 — Novel Technique Changes Lymph Node Biopsy, Reduces Radiaiton Exposure in the ScienceDaily.com

In a Dec. 8th news conference in Hong Kong, twenty-five premier research universities from around the world, including WUSTL, announced the establishment of the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization to promote research and applications of clean coal technology.

References:

1. Dec. 9, 2008 — Story on the establishment of the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization in the Xinhua News Agency (China)

and 11 others.

Two major coal companies and one of the Midwest's largest utilities are combining with WUSTL to try and make St. Louis the nation's center for clean coal research and education.

References:

1. Dec. 2, 2008 — Effort would make St. Louis clean coal focal point in the Associated Press State & Local Wire

and 13 others.

Anticipating a national rule on mercury removal from coal flue gas, technology providers jockey for position in this new market. Pratim Biswas, who chairs the department of energy, environmental, and chemical engineering at WUSTL, says titanium dioxide shows promise as an efficient mercury-removal mechanism.

References:

1. Nov. 24, 2008 — Getting Rid Of Mercury in the Chemical & Engineering News

As base runners weigh whether to slide head first or feet first during Wednesday's first game of the World Series, they might want to talk to a physicist instead of a coach. WUSTL mechanical engineering professor David Peters explains that the effectiveness of either approach is closely tied to the principles of physics and factors like a baseball player's center of gravity.

References:

1. Oct. 21, 2008 — Head-First Slide a Heads-Up Play in the The Washington Post

and 6 others.

Robots are increasingly taking over more soldier duties in Iraq and Afghanistan, with predictions that as much as 30 percent of the U.S. Army will be robotic by 2020. Two WUSTL scientists, Bill Smart and Doug Few, are on the cutting edge of this new wave of technology.

References:

1. Aug. 4, 2008 — Military use of robots increases in U.S. in the Xinhua News Agency (China)

and 2 others.

The Beijing Olympics begin in just over three weeks, and the Chinese are trying to clear the air. In a recent test, Beijing's air failed to meet international health guidelines six days out of seven. WUSTL chemical engineering professor Jay Turner comments.

References:

1. July 15, 2008 — China trying different things to improve air quality for Olympics in the CBS Evening News

This season, an alarming number of baseball bats have been exploding on contact with pitches -- shooting sharp timber projectiles onto the field and into the stands, where they have struck coaches, fans, players and umpires -- prompting players and management to call for testing that will get to the root of the problem. One theory blames the increased use of maple wood instead of more traditional ash and the players' preference for bats with thinner handles. WUSTL engineering professor Dave Peters comments.

References:

1. July 14, 2008 — Batter Up: Shattering Sticks Create Peril in MLB Ballparks in the Scientific American

Peters is a WUSTL engineering professor who happens to be a baseball nut. He looked at baseball from an engineer's perspective and determined that southpaws have a decided advantage. "Ninety percent of the human population is right-handed, but in baseball 25 percent of the players, both pitchers and hitters, are left-handed," Peters said.

References:

1. July 9, 2008 — Baseball is built for lefties in the Associated Press

and 55 others.

With ethanol looking less and less like the ideal alternative to fossil fuels, companies are rushing to come up with better options, such as biobutanol. WUSTL chemical engineering professor Lars Angenent is experimenting with using corn waste from ethanol plants to make butanol.

References:

1. June 30, 2008 — Betting on a Biofuel in the The Wall Street Journal

WUSTL engineers, including WUSTL chemical engineering professor Muthanna Al-Dahhan, using imaging technology have found that vigorous mixing helps microorganisms turn farm waste into alternative energy.
The goal is to produce a simple method that farmers can use to treat their waste and generate energy.

References:

1. April 16, 2008 — New study advances method to make energy from farm waste in the Associated Press

and 81 others.

Richard Wilson, director of WUSTL's Genome Sequencing Center, comments on the successful mapping of the corn genome.

References:

1. Feb. 26, 2008 — Group says it has mapped corn genome in the Associated Press

and 76 others.

WUSTL medical school scientists examined a group of healthy, overweight but not obese, middle-aged men and women and found that a yearlong regimen of either calorie restriction or exercise increase had positive effects on their heart function. WUSTL professor and study senior author Sandor Kovacs comments.

References:

1. Jan. 11, 2008 — Eat less for a youthful heart in the Hindustan Times (India)

and 5 others.

WUSTL chemical engineering professor Pratim Biswas has a method that controls the size of the nanoparticles he makes, opening up possibilities for new nanotechnology applications and different techniques.
Biswas described the technique and his work in a recent issue of Nanotechnology.
He is currently collaborating with WUSTL radiology professor Sam Achilefu, who is working to selectively deliver chemotherapy drugs in cancer patients.

References:

1. Dec. 3, 2007 — Technique controls nanoparticle size, creates large numbers in the Nanotechnology Now online

and 2 others.