Category Science & Technology
Decoding protein structures helps illuminate cause of diabetes
Any photographer can vouch for the difficulty of capturing a clear picture of a moving target. When it comes to molecules, however, sometimes the motion is exactly what scientists want to see. Read More
State seeds stem-cell company based on UW–Madison research
Governor Jim Doyle today (May 14) gave a $1 million boost to a University of Wisconsin–Madison spin-off company during a visit to the campus lab that gave birth to its technology. Read More
Curiosities: If we think the continents were at some point all connected, how did they separate?
Question submitted by Abbie Stroup, seventh grader at Sennett Middle School. Read More
Creator of Dolly the sheep to give public lecture in Madison
Ian Wilmut, the famed Scottish biologist who created Dolly the cloned sheep, is coming to Madison and will give a public lecture on Thursday, May 17, at the Overture Center. Read More
Meditation may fine-tune control over attention
Everyday experience and psychology research both indicate that paying close attention to one thing can keep you from noticing something else. Read More
Changing the face of science education
Through the UW–Madison Delta Program in Research, Teaching and Learning, new faculty and graduate students can find instructional resources and support that help them transition from full-time graduate researcher to faculty member. Read More
UW-Madison bridge, canoe teams sweep regional competition
Overcoming such obstacles as thunderstorms, muddy turf and an emergency hotel-hallway bridge-building practice, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Concrete Canoe Team and Steel Bridge Team each dominated the Great Lakes Regional Competition, held April 26-29 at Purdue University. Read More
Medical device refinements top student design competition
Designed by University of Wisconsin–Madison biomedical engineering students, a device that improves the diagnostic yield of fine-needle aspiration, a sensory-substitution device for hearing impairment, and a magnetic-resonance-compatible device for imaging lower extremities during movement received top honors in the first annual Tong Biomedical Engineering Design Award competition. Read More
Curiosities: What are teeth made of?
Built for crunching and chewing, teeth mostly consist of hard, inorganic minerals like calcium. But they also contain nerves, blood vessels and specialized cells… Read More
New technique dissects stem cells’ picky likes, dislikes
Whether their goal is to create therapies or simply investigate how organisms develop, stem cell researchers face what is perhaps one of biological science's toughest assignments: keeping their tiny research subjects under control. Read More
Resident bacteria may help clean phosphorous from lakes
UW-Madison engineer Katherine McMahon is integrating her expertise in wastewater engineering and in biological systems to study the bacterial community in different eutrophied lakes — two in Madison and one in China — to learn more about how those bacteria affect phosphorus cycling in the lakes. Read More
Survey examines Americans’ trust in science
When it comes to forming opinions on controversial scientific issues, Americans show a strong deference to the views of the scientific community, according to a study co-authored by a University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher. Read More
Two faculty elected to National Academy of Sciences
Two University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty members were elected today to the National Academy of Sciences. Read More
Arming the fight against resistant bacteria
In 1928, Alexander Fleming opened the door to treating bacterial infections when he stumbled upon the first known antibiotic in a Penicillium mold growing in a discarded experiment. Read More
Curiosities: How do fish gills work?
Question submitted by Matthew Burns, 7th Grade, Sennett Middle School. Read More
Healing chronic wounds through use of nanoscale surfaces
It’s both costly and frustrating when doctors are unable to heal persistent wounds, such as diabetic ulcers or pressure sores in patients with limited mobility. Traditional treatments are often less than satisfactory. But thanks to funding from the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery seed grant program, UW–Madison researchers have been freed to explore a novel and revolutionary approach to coaxing persistent wounds to heal. Read More
Team seeks to add advanced microlenses to technology
Most of us peer through lenses every day, but the “microlenses” devised by engineering professors Hongrui Jiang and Dave Beebe aren’t nearly so ordinary. Made of liquid and designed to be self-adjusting, these tiny lenses are a breed apart from their counterparts in eyeglasses and cameras. Read More