Category Science & Technology
Study reveals critical similarity between two types of do-it-all stem cells
Ever since human induced pluripotent stem cells were first derived in 2007, scientists have wondered whether they were functionally equivalent to embryonic stem cells, which are sourced in early stage embryos. Read More
In cell culture, like real estate, the neighborhood matters
Ever since scientists first began growing human cells in lab dishes in 1952, they have focused on improving the chemical soup that feeds the cells and helps regulate their growth. But surfaces also matter, says Laura Kiessling, a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who observes that living cells are normally in contact with each other and with a structure called the extracellular matrix, not just with the dissolved chemicals in their surroundings. Read More
Organic Field Day set Aug. 30
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers will host an Organic Field Day on Tuesday, August 30 from 1–3:30p.m. at the UW Arlington Agricultural Research Station. Read More
Climate change could drive native fish out of Wisconsin waters
The cisco, a key forage fish found in Wisconsin's deepest and coldest bodies of water, could become a climate change casualty and disappear from most of the Wisconsin lakes it now inhabits by the year 2100, according to a new study. Read More
Surgeon to be next UW–Madison vet research dean
Longtime professor Dale Bjorling has been named associate dean for research and graduate training at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Read More
New neutrino detection experiment in China up and running
Deep under a hillside near Hong Kong, a pair of new antineutrino detectors are warming up for some serious physics. Read More
Is hunting wolves key to their conservation?
Hunters have been credited with being strong conservation advocates for numerous game species in multiple countries. Would initiating a wolf hunt invoke the same advocacy for the carnivores? Read More
Digitization project promises lichens and mosses at our fingertips
Lichens and mosses are well-known barometers of the environment. But soon lichens and mosses could assume a new and much broader importance as harbingers of environmental change, thanks to an effort to digitize the lichen and moss collections of U.S. herbaria. Read More
Award allows UW biochemist to investigate mitochondria mystery
Every student of basic biology learns that mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell - little factories turning oxygen and food into energy. Read More
UW study finds that larger dairy farms tend to have better milk quality
Wisconsin's larger dairy operations tended to fare better than the state's small farms in a University of Wisconsin–Madison study of milk quality, although all of the state's farms - both large and small - produced milk that easily met federal food safety guidelines. Read More
Sea level rise less from Greenland, more from Antarctica, than expected during last interglacial
During the last prolonged warm spell on Earth, the oceans were at least four meters - and possibly as much as 6.5 meters, or about 20 feet - higher than they are now. Read More
Chinese high schoolers to learn from stem cells
Eighteen students participating in the inaugural Global Wisconsin Idea Program -- a unique pairing of American and Chinese teenagers -- will join a Chinese university dean this week to learn more about the science of stem cells during a hands-on workshop hosted by the Morgridge Institute for Research. Read More
Novel gene increases yeast’s appetite for plant sugars
For thousands of years, bakers and brewers have relied on yeast to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yet, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers eager to harness this talent for brewing biofuels have found when it comes to churning through sugars, these budding microbes can be picky eaters. Read More
Warming climate likely to dramatically increase Yellowstone fires by mid-century
Climate is changing fire patterns in the west in a way that could markedly change the face of Yellowstone National Park, according to new research. Read More
Seeds of collaboration: Illinois Titan Arum traces roots to UW
A Titan Arum grown from a seed produced by the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s record-breaking Big Bucky is about to bloom and release its overpowering… Read More
“Boot camp” prepares students for biology education at UW–Madison
Here's the situation: Recently, three kids succumbed within a month to a new blood parasite at your hospital, and a fourth child has just been admitted with the same parasite. Read More
Climate change reducing ocean’s carbon dioxide uptake
How deep is the ocean’s capacity to buffer against climate change? Read More
Rural Wisconsin high school students learn with stem cells, top UW–Madison researchers
Twenty top science students from rural Wisconsin high schools have earned the opportunity to hone their laboratory skills and work alongside top researchers from the… Read More