Category Science & Technology
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘Virtual’ symposium brings nanotech, biotech topics to K-12 science teachers
On Monday, May 1, educators from around Wisconsin will join with educators in Indiana and Minnesota to explore the convergence of nanotechnology and biotechnology with a panel of experts drawn from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the National Science Foundation and Wisconsin's biotechnology community. The New Technologies symposium will originate from the Pyle Center at UW–Madison and will be broadcast live via Internet2 beginning at 8 a.m.
Cell barrier slows bird flu’s spread among humans
Although more than 100 people have been infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus, mostly from close contact with infected poultry, the fact that the virus does not spread easily from its pioneering human hosts to other humans has been a biomedical puzzle.
Engineers squeeze secrets from proteins
Proteins, one of the basic components of living things, are among the most studied molecules in biochemistry. Understanding how proteins form or "fold" from sequenced strings of amino acids has long been one of the grand challenges of biology.
Scientists reveal how deadly toxin hijacks cells
Scientists have pinpointed exactly how botulinum neurotoxin A - a potential agent of biological warfare and one of the most lethal toxins known to humans - is able to sneak into cells.
Researcher carves out role of champion of cheese
The most ironic thing about Mark Johnson, one of Wisconsin's leading experts on cheese, is that he spent the first half of his life simply hating the stuff. But the years can change a man and his taste buds. Now, as senior scientist at UW–Madison's Center for Dairy Research, Johnson has devoted his career to enhancing the quality of Wisconsin cheeses.