Category Science & Technology
New approach allows closer look at smoker lungs
Aided by a powerful imaging technique, scientists have discovered they can detect smoking-related lung damage in healthy smokers who otherwise display none of the telltale signs of tobacco use. Read More
Study: Super-sizing your food takes hidden toll on pocketbook
From a soft drink in a mega-size cup to a jumbo order of fries, many fast food restaurants let you upsize your meal for pennies — seemingly a great value. Read More
Just one nanosecond: Clocking events at the nanoscale
As scientists and engineers build devices at smaller and smaller scales, grasping the dynamics of how materials behave when they are subjected to electrical signals, sound and other manipulations has proven to be beyond the reach of standard scientific techniques. Read More
Biochemist bags young scientist award
A biochemist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is one of two recipients of the 2006 Shaw Scientist Award. Designed to help young scientists explore novel research directions, the $200,000 prize is annually awarded to Wisconsin researchers working in the fields of biochemistry, the biological sciences and cancer research. Read More
Online course to develop curriculum around process of science
"Forensic Science" is a unique online learning opportunity that will provide K-12 teachers with the techniques and tools to bring scientific investigation into their classrooms. This two-week Web-based learning opportunity will be conducted June 12-26. Read More
Study: Exercise, diet may protect against colorectal cancer
Voluntary exercise and a restricted diet reduced the number and size of pre-cancerous polyps in the intestines of male mice and improved survival, according to a study by a University of Wisconsin–Madison research published May 13 in the journal Carcinogenesis. Read More
How a crop nutrition problem becomes an insect problem
Potassium-stressed soybean plants - with their telltale yellowed leaf edges - can harbor large numbers of soybean aphids, insidious pests that can cause millions of dollars in damage to Wisconsin crops. Read More
Free program offers scientific exploration to everyone
Steve Preston, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will talk about how his personal journey with cancer has shaped not only his master's thesis research on sustainable engineering, but his approach to life, at Wednesday Nite @ the Lab at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10. His project on engineering mall, an elaborate, interconnected structure of paper tube arches that bridge art, engineering and industry, portrays life as a series of portals. Read More
Dedication ceremony honors revered freshwater biologist
A dedication ceremony at the Center for Limnology (CFL) today (May 8) is honoring the vision and achievements of a late UW–Madison scientist by naming a laboratory after him. The newly named facility - the Arthur Davis Hasler Laboratory for Limnology - has been at the core of education and UW–Madison research in the aquatic sciences for more than four decades. Read More
Scientists find gene in obese mice that increases type 2 diabetes
In a painstaking set of experiments in overweight mice, scientists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison have discovered a gene that appears to play an important role in the onset of type 2 diabetes. Read More
Metal-embedding method helps tiny sensors function in extreme environments
University of Wisconsin–Madison mechanical engineers have developed a method for fabricating "packages" of tiny sensors that measure temperature more accurately than bulk thermocouples. Read More
Scientists share common interests at human biology symposium
More than 600 registrants are expected to attend the fourth Wisconsin Symposium on Human Biology Monday-Thursday, May 22-25, at UW–Madison. Read More
Research proposals sought for Wisconsin Institutes of Discovery
A grant program aimed at stimulating collaborative research projects to be included in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery has begun with an open invitation to University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers to submit initial proposals by June 1. Read More
UW scientist among 100 most influential people of 2006
TIME Magazine, the international news weekly, has recognized a scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as one of the most influential people of 2006. Read More
Scaled-down genome may power up E. coli’s ability in lab, industry
By stripping the E. coli genome of vast tracts of its genetic material — hundreds of apparently inconsequential genes — a team of Wisconsin researchers has created a leaner and meaner version of the bacterium that is a workhorse of modern biology and industry. Read More
Scientists discover a master key to microbes’ pathogenic lifestyles
A team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health reports the discovery of a master molecular sensor embedded in the spores of the fungi that triggers a transformation from that of a benign lifestyle in the soil to a deadly pathogen. Read More
Three faculty elected to National Academy of Sciences
Three members of the UW–Madison faculty were among 72 individuals elected this week to the National Academies of Science. Read More
UW-Madison’s cluster-hiring initiative shows signs of delivering on its promise
Seven years after the University of Wisconsin–Madison's cluster-hiring initiative was outlined by former Chancellor David Ward, the program is producing numerous accomplishments. Read More
Amasino receives prestigious HHMI professorship
Just as a non-musician savors the resounding strains of a Beethoven symphony, University of Wisconsin–Madison biochemist Richard Amasino believes that non-scientists can appreciate the role of science in their lives. He will have a chance to advance that notion to K-12 teachers nationwide after being named a million-dollar Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor. Read More
Historic gift will drive research innovation
The largest individual gift ever to benefit UW–Madison - $50 million from alumni John and Tashia Morgridge - will pave the way for pioneering scientific collaboration at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. Read More