West Virginia University researchers are working to potentially reduce the growing rate of antibiotic-resistant infections in open bone fractures by employing nanotechnology to bolster a centuries-old treatment. The study is supported by a $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

In a study led by Naim Bautista of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, highland deer mice and their lowland cousins ventured on a simulated seven-week ascent to 6,000 meters. By tracking how the mice responded to cold stress and progressively lower oxygen levels, the study tested whether deer mice have a generalized ability to acclimatize or whether some mice have evolved adaptations to local conditions. The highland mice were better able to regulate their body temperature, an indication that mice living at higher altitudes have evolved distinct ways to acclimatize to low oxygen conditions.