Category Science & Technology
Undergrad team debuts in genetic engineering competition
For the first time, a team of University of Wisconsin–Madison undergraduates participated in the annual International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM), held this fall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Nylon reveals its antibiotic powers
Nylon, we know, is incredibly versatile, strong and resilient. Now, it may be possible to add antibiotic powers to the list of qualities for the wonder synthetic material.
Computer programming team places first in regional competition
The UW–Madison computer programming team "Red No. 40" beat 198 other teams to place first in the North Central Regional Competition of the International Collegiate Programming Competition in early November, qualifying the team to compete in the World Finals in April.
Engineer James Dumesic named to ‘Scientific American 50’
James Dumesic, Chemical and Biological Engineering Steenbock Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has received a 2007 Scientific American "SciAm 50" award for his innovative alternative fuels research.
Curiosities: Is every snowflake unique?
One fact we know from childhood: every snowflake is unique. Isn’t it? UW–Madison’s snowflake…
Foreign ozone emissions lower U.S. air quality
When it comes to environmental impacts, no nation is an island. A recent study from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison finds that up to 15 percent of U.S. air pollution comes from Asian and European sources.
Greener pastures: Dairy science reverses history with enrollment surge
Since enrolling 189 undergraduate students in 1982, dairy science has seen a steady decline in popularity. But the program is gorwing again now after retooling its cirriculum and its approach to student recruitment.
UW space science technology powers Google Earth images
Satellite images provide a dramatic view of the Earth and its atmosphere. For timely views of winter weather in Wisconsin or wild fires in California, Google Earth users can now access the most recent high-quality satellite images generated at the Space Science and Engineering Center.
Arsenic contamination lacks one-size-fits-all remedy
Though a worldwide problem, arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution, recent work by UW–Madison researchers has shown.
Waterborne carbon increases threat of environmental mercury
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and a worrisome environmental contaminant, but the severity of its threat appears to depend on what else is in the water, researchers at UW–Madison have found.
Genome study places modern humans in the evolutionary fast lane
Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study by UW–Madison researchers examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change.
John D. Wiley to step down as UW–Madison chancellor
Chancellor John D. Wiley, who has earned a reputation as a campus builder and a farsighted leader since becoming the University of Wisconsin–Madison's chief executive in 2001, announced today that he will step down in September 2008.
Stem cells show power to predict disease, drug toxicity
For the first time, scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to predict the toxic effects of drugs and provide chemical clues to diagnosing disease.
DuPont fellowship funds address plant breeder shortage
In 2008, DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred seed business will provide the plant breeding and plant genetics program with a $60,000 grant, renewable annually for five years, to support two new graduate fellowships.
Settlement prompts heating plant improvements
A legal settlement between the state and an environmental group will result in less coal being burned at the Charter Street Heating Plant and sets the stage for major improvements at the facility.
Family, memories at core of anthropologist’s new book
A UW–Madison anthropologist first decided to write a book about her family when she was 10 years old, a decision she made while growing up in Bombay, the child of an American mother and an Indian father.
Stem-cell discovery a global media force
When a scientific advance is hailed as “the biological equivalent of the Wright Brothers’ first airplane,” it stands to reason that the work will grab worldwide attentionn
Prof guides future generations of female scientists
When Jean Bahr believes in something, she doesn’t hesitate to act.
Waistline growth on high-carb diets linked to liver gene
Experts have been warning for years that foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other processed carbohydrates are making us fatter. Now, a University of Wisconsin–Madison study has uncovered the genetic basis for why this is so.