Category Science & Technology
Features of replication suggest viruses have common themes, vulnerabilities
A study of the reproductive apparatus of a model virus is bolstering the idea that broad classes of viruses - including those that cause important human diseases such as AIDS, SARS and hepatitis C - have features in common that could eventually make them vulnerable to broad-spectrum antiviral agents.
UW research taking a birds-eye view of groundwater discharge
Water research is often carried out in waders, but this year University of Wisconsin–Madison hydrogeologist Steven Loheide will use an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to probe water locked underground in a study supported by the UW–Madison Water Resources Institute (WRI).
Limnologist receives preeminent international award
University of Wisconsin–Madison limnologist Stephen Carpenter joins the select ranks of the world's most distinguished lake researchers next week, when he will receive the highest international honor in his field.
Veterinary professor improves Wisconsin dairy industry
Ken Nordlund still remembers the skeptical face at the back of the room as he and his colleagues introduced the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine's new Transition Cow Index (TCI) to dairy farmers from around the state.
Wisconsin engineers ready a blueprint for a nanomechanical computer
If efforts now under way by a team of University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers pan out, the age of the nanomechanical computer may be at hand.
Second place is sweet for food development team
Thanks to the innovation of the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Food Science Club, consumers may one day follow a course of sushi not with sake, but with espresso or a latte.
Building green for less green: Design team plans lower-cost, energy-efficient housing
A team of faculty, students and community organizations is out to construct a new reality: green housing that can also be affordable.
Stem cell therapy rescues motor neurons in ALS model
In a study that demonstrates the promise of cell-based therapies for diseases that have proved intractable to modern medicine, a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison has shown it is possible to rescue the dying neurons characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neuromuscular disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
West Madison urban horticulture field day set for Aug. 18
Want to make your green thumb even greener? Stop by the Urban Horticulture Field Day at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's West Madison Agricultural Research Station, on Saturday, August 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
‘Glass menagerie:’ Museum unearths exotic stash of glass sea creatures
An ordinary mid-summer stroll through Noland Hall in 2005 led Paula Holahan to an extraordinary discovery: box after box filled with a sea of intricate glass sculptures of marine invertebrate animals.
Curiosities: Why do flowers smell, and why do plants smell, too?
The luscious aroma of flowers attracts lovers, and the biological role of that smell is similar: to attract pollinators. “Plants need to attract insects,…
Synthetic garnets made by Chancellor Wiley displayed at Geology Museum
In a small, freestanding case near the entrance of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Geology Museum, you might notice a familiar name next to two faintly yellow gems.
Phosphorus management system balances farms, water quality
At any given spot in Wisconsin, chances are that you're not far from a lake or a farm, or both - but the combination is not always a harmonious one. The future of both may hinge on proper management of an essential element: phosphorus.
Curiosities: How well do dogs see at night?
A lot better than we do, says Paul Miller, clinical professor of comparative ophthalmology at University of Wisconsin–Madison. “Dogs have evolved…
Fifty years and counting: The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study
Lee Schoenecker doesn't recall filling out a survey 50 years ago about his plans after high school, yet this long-forgotten event has stayed with him ever since. Because of it, the retired urban planner has spent many more hours being surveyed both by telephone and written questionnaire. He recently provided a sample of DNA. Even his wife and siblings have become involved.