Category Science & Technology
A stealth fungus has decimated North American bats but scientists may be a step closer to treating white-nose syndrome
Scientists have discovered how an invasive fungus that colonizes the skin of hibernating bats gains entry and covertly hijacks cells, taking an important step toward treatment of white-nose syndrome.
Lake and river foams study reveals high PFAS levels, even though underlying water may be less contaminated
Thirty-six different kinds of PFAS compounds were analyzed in samples of both the foams and water surface microlayers of 43 Wisconsin rivers and lakes.
Raw milk is risky, but airborne transmission of H5N1 from cow’s milk is inefficient in mammals.
New research suggests that exposure to raw milk infected with the currently circulating virus poses a real risk of infecting humans, but that the virus may not spread very far or quickly to others.
Serendipity reveals new method to fight cancer with T cells
Cells treated with “metabolic priming” retained their stem cell-like qualities, thus enhancing their ability to kill cancer cells, transform into durable memory cells, and survive longer in the body.
Federal funds awarded for biohealth, with UW–Madison leading the way
The U.S. Economic Development Administration has announced $49 million in Phase 2 funding to the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, a groundbreaking initiative set to drive transformative medical innovation, workforce development and critical job growth across Wisconsin.
UW–Madison leading new research collaboration aimed at treating lung scarring diseases
An interdisciplinary group of researchers will will investigate the biological processes that promote lung scarring. With the aid of artificial intelligence and advanced 3D modeling, they will also develop and refine new imaging techniques and drug delivery systems that could aid in halting its progression.
Wolves reintroduced to Isle Royale temporarily affect other carnivores, humans have influence as well
While many studies have been conducted to understand the effects of a carnivore reintroduction on their prey, less well studied is the effect of the reintroduction on other carnivores in the same food web, in this case foxes and martens.
UW biochemist Ci Ji Lim named Pew Scholar
Lim is the ninth UW–Madison researcher selected to be a Pew biomedical scholar and is one of 22 early-career scientists to receive the honor in 2024. His research focuses on telomeres, the protective at the ends of chromosomes
The buzz about cicadas
Curious nature lovers crowded to Cicadapalooza, held on June 8 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to learn all about the noisy bugs.
Watery planets orbiting dead stars may be good candidates for studying life — if they can survive long enough
The small footprint and dim light of white dwarfs, remnants of stars that have burned through their fuel, may make excellent backdrops for studying planets with enough water to harbor life.
Wind from black holes may influence development of surrounding galaxies
The discovery helps illuminate the way active black holes can continuously shape their galaxies by spurring on or snuffing out the development of new stars.
Bringing delight by investigating a no-melt ice cream
Cameron Wicks, a PhD student in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Department of Food Science, is working on a new technology that adds naturally occurring compounds to ice cream to prevent it from wreaking summertime havoc.
Small, cool and sulfurous exoplanet may help write recipe for planetary formation
UW–Madison astronomers and their collaborators hope the discovery of one exoplanet's sulfurous atmosphere will advance our understanding of how planets forms.
UW–Madison scientists develop most sensitive way to observe single molecules
The new method could have implications for pursuits as varied as drug discovery and the development of advanced materials.
Abandoned farmlands could play a role in fighting climate change. A new study shows exactly where they are.
A research team used machine learning to map nearly 30 million acres of United States cropland abandoned since the 1980s, creating a tool that could guide decisions about how to balance production of energy and food.
UW–Madison engineers mark 3D printing milestone in race to in-space manufacturing
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have taken a step toward in-space manufacturing of replacement electronic components by successfully 3D printing RAM device units in zero gravity for the first time.
Stability relies on dispersal in parasitic relationship between aphids and wasps.
Researchers combined experiments with mathematical modeling to learn that dispersal of organisms involved in parasitic relationships through space can play an important role in balancing the effects of both ecology and evolution on those relationships.
Dorota A. Grejner-Brzezinska named UW–Madison vice chancellor for research
In her role at Ohio State, Brzezinska spent three years working on strategic growth and diversification of the university’s research portfolio through federal funding and on helping faculty develop research leadership skills.
UW–Madison physicist Francis Halzen elected to National Academy of Sciences
Halzen directs the UW–Madison Institute for Elementary Particle Physics Research and is the principal investigator of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
Update from UW–Madison experts on bird flu spread
UW experts are assisting efforts to track and research the virus with an eye toward minimizing risk to human health and protecting the state’s agricultural sector.