Top research coverage of 2022

While many want to put the pandemic in the past, unfortunately, 2022 proved that COVID‑19 is very much still here.

Washington State University’s most widely covered research of the year involved the discovery of a virus, a type of cousin to SAR-CoV-2, in Russian bats that could possibly jump to humans. This study demonstrates the impact and importance of WSU’s leading infectious disease research that hopefully, can help prevent or minimize the next viral outbreak.

Much of the WSU research that had the broadest general interest reach this year also had to do with health and wellness, ranging from the benefits of exercise to a new potential autism test to finding clues to fight diabetes from hibernating bears.

Several of the discoveries highlighted how the university realizes its land-grant mission to find real-world solutions, such as making use of disposable masks in cement and a way to help conventional thinkers be more creative.

And yet others revealed the world’s fascination with both the small things on Earth — like the spread of stink bugs — and the grandest dreams to go beyond our planet with a study envisioning how to make materials on Mars.

WSU News staff analyzed the 84 research press releases from the past year, using the Meltwater media tracking software to calculate their “potential reach.” This figure, which combines estimated readership and viewership of all media outlets where the story appeared, represents how many times the story may have been seen. It provides a rough estimate of how much public exposure WSU has earned through promoting its research.

Below are the 10 biggest from 2022, including their potential reach numbers, examples of high-impact media articles, and potential explanations for their success. Following that is the full list of research releases from last year ranked by total potential reach.

1. Newly discovered COVID-like virus could infect humans, resist vaccines

   3.65 billion

   MSN, Time Magazine, Daily Mail, International Business Times, Yahoo News

   It’s called Khosta‑2: a virus found in Russian bats that could potentially jump to humans, and as much as people might not want to hear about a new possible pandemic, they really did want to read about how it might be stopped. Khosta‑2 is a sarbecovirus, a class of viruses that includes the one that causes COVID‑19. This Russian bat virus isn’t a problem, yet, but that’s the point of the study led by WSU virologist Michael Letko. More than 500 media outlets carried the story, and its warning, worldwide hopefully inspiring preventative measures, such as the development of a vaccine.

2. Invasive stink bug habitat could expand with climate change

   1.86 billion

   BBC, The Hill, The Independent, KOMO‑TV

   This story spread almost as quickly as its foul-smelling subject matter, the voracious, and too familiar, stink bugs. Many people know these insects well because they like to overwinter in human homes. Now, according to research led by Javier Gutierrez Illan, stink bugs may be on the move as climate change alters temperature and humidity of their favorite areas. More than 340 outlets carried the story, and like the bugs, more keep popping up in new places.

3. Intense exercise while dieting may reduce cravings for fatty food

   932.93 million

   Daily Mail, Consumer Affairs, New Atlas, Atlanta Journal‑Constitution

   Good news travels faster than a rat on a treadmill. This experiment by Travis Brown showed that intense running by rats dampened their enthusiasm for fat-heavy pellets, a finding that holds out hope for human dieters everywhere. The story found its way to over 200 outlets from big national media to small town papers.

4. Martian rock-metal composite shows potential of 3D printing on Mars

   756.64 million

   Newsweek, TechRadar, National Science Foundation, SpaceNews.com

   Amit Bandyopadhyay has done it again. In 2011, the WSU engineer’s team pioneered the use of Lunar regolith — moon dust and rocks — in 3D printing. This year, he led work using Martian regolith in 3D printing in preparation for humans someday traveling to the red planet. Being able to create tools and other materials on site will be important for any Mars mission because as Bandyopadhyay points out, if we forget or break something “we cannot come back to get it.” With the help of WSU videographers, this vision captured the imagination of people around the globe.

5. Eye test could help screen children for autism

   739.13 million

   Seattle Times, MSN, Scribd, Hindustan Times, KHQ‑TV

   A potential new test for autism that measures how eyes’ respond to light could lead to earlier diagnosis of the disorder. The work led by Georgina Lynch holds out hope that more kids with this Autism Spectrum Disorder could have interventions very early which research shows leads to better outcomes. With the rising frequency of the disorder’s diagnosis, this story earned attention from a wide variety of media outlets.

6. Disposable masks could be used to make more durable concrete

   579.70 million

   KOMO‑TV, Yahoo News, CTV News, Miami Herald

   The pandemic threatened health, upended everyday life — it also left a mess. Thousands of disposable masks were filtering into the trash, and Xiaming Shi saw an opportunity. His team developed a way to use the mask material in a cement mix to make the resulting concrete more durable. The ubiquity of the masks, and perhaps the desire to be rid of them, likely fueled interest in this story of putting them into the ground beneath our feet.

7. Twin study links exercise to beneficial epigenetic changes

   567.37 million

   WebMD, Runners World, World Economic Forum, UPI

   Exercise may not change our genes, but it can change the molecules that influence how they behave — what’s known as epigenetics. This study brought together the epigenetic expertise of Michael Skinner with the twin study leadership of Glen Duncan. Studying identical twins helped the researchers separate genetic influences from the epigenetic ones. They found that the twin siblings who exercised more had lowered signs of metabolic disease both in things like waist size and body mass index as well as epigenetic changes. The good news that not all is pre-determined by birth interested fitness-seekers as well as media catering to health care workers and policy makers.

8. Changing feelings can boost creativity for conventional thinkers

   545.49 million

   Houston Chronicle, StudyFinds, Yahoo News, Neuroscience News

   Business researcher Lily Zhu showed her own ability to be creative in not only designing this study but also promoting it. Zhu’s research showed that asking conventional thinkers to try “emotional reappraisal,” such as reframing an anger-inducing situation as sad or neutral, allowed them to come up with more creative ideas on another project. The initial press release gained some good interest, but the story went even further when Zhu wrote her own article for The Conversation, a site designed to help researchers write about their own work for a general audience.* AP picked it up and since then news sites all over the world are reprinting it.

   *Researchers interested in writing an article for The Conversation are welcome to contact the WSU News team for help and suggestions at wsunews@wsu.edu.

9. Bears’ ability to regulate insulin narrowed down to eight proteins

   531.27 million

   National Geographic, Oregon Public Broadcasting, NPR: Science Friday, Washington Post

   Bears are charismatic, and most stories related to the grizzlies at WSU Bear Center, the only facility of its kind in the U.S., make headlines. A team of researchers made a significant leap forward in identifying how the bears can get so fat, do so little, and still remain healthy, with possible implications for future treatment of human diabetes. This story, especially coupled with beautiful photos of the bears by WSU photographer Bob Hubner, made it a great fit for TV coverage and glossy magazines in addition to newspapers and radio programs.

10. Legalized cannabis linked to fewer synthetic cannabinoid poisonings

    527.53 million

    Healthline, CNN, Discover Magazine, UPI

    Cannabis research almost always sees strong media interest. This good news about cannabis legalization helping prevent poisonings from synthetic imposters like “Spice” or “K2” made many headlines. The story’s spread was also helped by the many great interviews provided by study lead author, nursing researcher Traci Klein who also serves as assistant director of the WSU’s Center for Cannabis Policy, Research and Outreach.

11. Highly emotional people drawn to cats for stress relief programs
12. Honey holds potential for making brain-like computer chips
13. Smart pacifier developed to monitor infant health in hospitals
14. Air pollution from wildfires, rising heat affected 68% of U.S. West
15. Good sleep can increase women’s work ambitions
16. Gender gap in leadership aspirations changed little in 60 years
17. Respiratory viruses that hijack immune mechanisms may have Achilles’ heel
18. Chemotherapy could increase disease susceptibility in future generations
19. More spice could help seniors avoid salt
20. Viagra promising as treatment for canine eating disorder
21. Epigenetic biomarkers found that potentially predict preterm birth
22. New way found to turn #7 plastic into valuable products
23. Study identifies key protein that drives rheumatoid arthritis damage
24. Nurses’ communication and driving skills suffer after 12‑hour night shifts
25. Researchers improve cement with shrimp shell nanoparticles
26. People prefer interacting with female robots in hotels
27. Test can detect deadly genetic mutation in cats
28. Wildlife crossings potentially save millions in Washington state
29. Increasing evidence that bears are not carnivores
30. WSU-designed, nano-engineered sealer leads to more durable concrete
31. Study finds elk hoof disease may affect antlers
32. About 16% of couples are divided on vaccination
33. Co-occurring droughts could threaten global food security
34. Viral proteins join forces to lower plants’ defense ‘shields’
35. Novel waste treatment efficiently converts sewage to biogas
36. Astronomers identify likely location of medium‑sized black holes
37. Hydrogen production method opens up clean fuel possibilities
38. Not everybody hates looking at themselves on Zoom
39. Teens with COVID‑19 knowledge reported better well‑being
40. Automated drones could scare birds off agricultural fields
41. Food texture key to eating habits in children with Down syndrome
42. Native Americans face disproportionate travel burden for cancer treatment
43. AI predicts infant age, gender based on temperament
44. Trust in government linked to work attitudes
45. Travel desire increases COVID‑19 vaccination intention
46. Core strength could help dogs avoid knee injuries
47. Few Americans see race as key factor in environmental inequality
48. Trapping sperm in semen’s natural gel could lead to new contraceptive
49. From computer to benchtop: WSU researchers find clues to new mechanisms for coronaviruses infections
50. Eco-friendly credentials not benefiting hotels financially, study says
51. Nano-sized islands open possibilities for application of single-atom catalysts
52. Food insecurity risk related to diabetes later in life
53. Researchers find a new way to measure flying baseballs
54. High protein diets could harm polar bears, shorten lifespans
55. New nanoparticle-based sensors can measure residual herbicides in food
56. Study challenges advice to perform different tasks at specific times
57. Some nomadic birds look for social cues to stop migrating
58. Washington state quinoa can make a better cookie
59. Study identifies mental health disparities in rural schools
60. Genetic discovery could lead to better treatments for common tumor in dogs
61. Discovery could help finetune immunity to fight infections, disease
62. Discovery could lead to better cancer immunotherapy
63. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps treat opioid addiction
64. Drones show potential to improve salmon nest counts
65. Partisan media exposure could inform COVID‑19 vaccine hesitancy
66. Self‑pollinating plant shows rapid loss of genetic variation
67. Home sensors can detect opioid withdrawal signs at night
68. Natural gas flares likely source of respiratory illness spike
69. Pandemic did not weaken student trust in higher education overall
70. Four‑year college students drink more, use marijuana less than community college peers
71. Chicken vaccination shows benefits for nutrition, growth in Kenyan children
72. Deep economic divide found even among employed during COVID‑19
73. Lignin-based jet fuel packs more power for less pollution
74. Social support may lower American Indians’ risk of cardiovascular disease, death
75. Trust in experts, media literacy connected to COVID‑19 vaccine intention
76. Cameras reveal snowshoe hare density in forests
77. Service workers’ volatile shifts linked to high‑cost debt
78. Promotion doesn’t add up to gender equity at leading accounting firms
79. Cash transfer proposal has downsides for child poverty
80. Gift cards from politicized brands dampen recipients’ gratitude
81. Washington state minorities die at younger ages from opioids than whites
82. Alcohol ads can influence men and women to sexually coerce partners
83. Incivility, threats doubled against ‘The Squad’ after Trump tweet
84. About 27% of horse owners buy painkillers without consulting veterinarians

Faculty:
Have an upcoming study that might interest the general public? Email WSU Science Writer Sara Zaske at sara.zaske@wsu.edu.

Note: for WSU to promote a study with a press release, you need to be the corresponding author on a study that ideally, is about to be published in a peer-reviewed science journal or has been published within the last three months at most.