Category Science & Technology
Distributing computing resources: The social challenge
By bringing together a diverse group of scientific interests to share a large, distributed computing resource, the Grid Laboratory of Wisconsin (GLOW) itself has become an important subject of research. Read More
Can I get a copy of that molecule? Biology goes 3-D with new technology
In an era of quantum dots and genome maps, science education faces an interesting challenge: How can students come to grips with the complexity of the infinitesimally small? The answer: Fire up the copy machine. Read More
Researchers devise nano-scale method for investigating living systems
By observing how tiny specks of crystal move through the layers of a biological membrane, a team of electrical and computer engineers and biologists has devised a new method for investigating living systems on the molecular level. Read More
Wisconsin researchers identify sleep gene
Zeroing in on the core cellular mechanisms of sleep, researchers at University of Wisconsin Medical School have identified for the first time a single gene mutation that has a powerful effect on the amount of time fruit flies sleep. Read More
Plant pathway may treat human disease
A newly discovered pathway by which cells protect themselves from a toxic byproduct of photosynthesis may hold important implications for bioenergy sources, human and plant disease, and agricultural yields, a team of UW–Madison bacteriologists announced Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read More
Citizen panel to release report April 28 on nanotechnology
University of Wisconsin officials will join state legislators in the Assembly Parlor of the State Capitol building on Thursday, April 28, at 11:30 a.m. to accept a report on the promise and perils of nanotechnology produced by a panel of Madison-area citizens. Read More
Bioethicists to ponder biotechnology and the brain
Researchers at UW–Madison will be featured among several experts gathering at the Fourth Annual International Bioethics Forum on Thursday and Friday, April 21 and 22, to discuss a range of ethical issues. Read More
Study finds two brain systems regulate how people call for help
The willingness to call out in distress to get help from others appears to be regulated by two brain systems with very different responsibilities, according to a study by researchers at UW–Madison. Read More
New program simplifies growers’ access to potato varieties
With guidance from Wisconsin's potato growers, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) has launched a streamlined licensing program for seed potato farmers who wish to cultivate and sell varieties developed by the potato-breeding program at UW–Madison. Read More
Discovery may halt progression of Alzheimer’s
In a finding that may cause a dramatic shift in the way scientists and researchers search for a therapy for Alzheimer's disease, a team of researchers led by Jeff Johnson, an associate professor at the School of Pharmacy, has discovered that increased expression of a protein called transthyretin in the brain appears to halt the progression of the disease. The findings appear in the current issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. Read More