Category Science & Technology
Slide show: Northwoods partners
The complex interplay between the earth's climate on global and local levels drives UW–Madison atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor Ankur Desai's research. In September, students from the soils and waters course at the College of the Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wis., joined Desai's team to get a look at the high-tech methods researchers use to monitor carbon flux — the movement of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in and out of plants, water and soil. Read More
UW-Madison global fishery expert wins prestigious fellowship
Peter McIntyre, an assistant professor of zoology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has won an $850,000, five-year Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Read More
Medical foods for PKU diet enter phase II clinical trials
Mealtimes aren't quite as enjoyable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU) as they are for the rest of us. Those with this genetic disorder have to get their protein by drinking a foul-tasting amino acid "formula." At the same time, they must avoid natural proteins - eschewing burgers, ice cream and even regular bread - because they lack the enzyme needed to process phenylalanine, one of the 19 amino acids that comprise protein. Read More
Bird song app identifies feathered friends by tweets
Squinting into wind-blown trees and bushes is for the birds, especially if it’s the birds you're looking for. Read More
Building a new cadre of science faculty, center makes next big leap
The national experiment to develop a new generation of college science and engineering faculty, one equipped to excel in the classroom as well as the lab, is about to shift into high gear. Read More
Research explores virus movement in Madison groundwater
According to the conventional wisdom, drinking water taken from a deep aquifer protected by a semi-permeable layer of rock should be protected from many contaminants, including viruses. Read More
Psychologist to explain 3-D perception to National Geographic audience
Bas Rokers, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will illustrate how our brains process visual motion and depth during the three-part National Geographic television series "Brain Games." Read More
Decade of effort yields diabetes susceptibility gene
Ten years of meticulous mouse breeding, screening and record-keeping have finally paid off for Alan Attie and his lab members. Read More
Electricity from the nose: Engineers make power from human respiration
The same effect that ignites your gas grill with the push of a button could one day power sensors in your body via the respiration in your nose. Read More
Clocking the mosh pit of interstellar space
The space between the stars in the Milky Way and all other galaxies is full of dust and gas, the raw materials from which stars and planets are made. Read More
Stuff ‘n’ food: Can collectible toys overcome fascination with fast food?
Every parent seems to know what McDonald's knows: Food and toys outsell food alone. But could toys be used to promote the sale of healthy food as well as calorie-rich fast food? Read More
Jumping gene enabled key step in corn domestication
In seeking to better understand how teosinte gave rise to corn, a scientific team has pinpointed one of the key genetic changes that paved the way for corn's domestication. Read More
Study: Advantages of single-sex schooling a myth
As Madison deals with a proposal to establish a single-sex charter school, a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of psychology is one author of an article that calls the scientific case for single-sex schools "pseudoscience." Read More
UW–Madison botanist plucks new flower from Isle Royale
One of the world's newest sunflower species, discovered by a University of Wisconsin–Madison botanist, has carved out a very small but safe niche on an island in Lake Superior. Read More
Wisconsin engineer, entrepreneur move ‘green’ diesel engine closer to market
A University of Wisconsin–Madison engineer is collaborating with a Wisconsin entrepreneur to produce a diesel engine that could be a quieter, more efficient power source for a variety of household and industrial applications, including lawn equipment and electric generators. Read More
Mouse genome sequences reveal variability, complex evolutionary history
The genome of even a single organism is packed with information. A new paper, building on recent advances in sequencing capability, now reports the complete genomes of 17 different strains of mice, creating an unparalleled genetic resource that will aid studies ranging from human disease to evolution. Read More
Interim chancellor’s memo to lawmakers regarding proposed fetal tissue ban
Here is the text of a memo sent by UW–Madison Interim Chancellor David Ward to all members of the state Legislature regarding a bill that would ban the acquisition and use of fetal tissue in scientific research. Read More
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