Category Science & Technology
Small molecule may help pinpoint some cancers
Writing in the March 8 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, groups led by Medical School Professor James Dahlberg and his collaborator Wayne Tam, at the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, report that elevated cellular levels of a particular microRNA, known as miR-155, may be diagnostic of some human cancers, notably lymphomas. 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
Geochemical technique yields biomedical promise
Adapting a technique used routinely by geologists to measure the chemical composition of rocks, scientists may have found a better way to sample bone calcium balance in humans. Read More
Biotechnology training grant is renewed
A National Institutes of Health grant that promotes graduate training in biotechnology has been renewed for an additional five years, according to bacteriologist Timothy Donohue, who directs the program. Read More
Wisconsin poised to invest $750 million in biomedical research
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, taking a swing at keeping Wisconsin competitive in the superheated world of biomedical research, announced today (Nov. 17) that over the next several years Wisconsin would invest up to $750 million, including more than $500 million in new facilities and direct research support for scientists at UW–Madison. Read More
UW Board of Regents approves Healthstar research facility
Construction of a $133.9 million Interdisciplinary Research Complex, which will replace outdated research facilities and unify the University of Wisconsin–Madison Medical School on the west campus, won approval Friday (Nov. 5) from the UW System Board of Regents. Read More
Horticulturist goes in search of a sweeter onion
The future looks rosy for the pungent bulb, says Michael Havey of the Department of Horticulture. Read More
Gene from 1918 virus proves key to virulent influenza
Using a gene resurrected from the virus that caused the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, recorded history's most lethal outbreak of infectious disease, scientists have found that a single gene may have been responsible for the devastating virulence of the virus. 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
Licenses for new HyRed cranberry now available
Licenses to produce and sell fruit from UW–Madison's HyRed cranberry - the first publicly developed cranberry variety in more than three decades - are now being offered through the university's patent and licensing organization. Read More
UW part of national pathogen bioinformatics center
In an effort to speed up research on disease-causing pathogens, including ones that could be used as biological weapons, scientists at UW–Madison will team with an information technology (IT) company, SRA International, Inc., to build an online, publicly accessible library of data on these infectious agents and their genomes. Read More
Technology could enhance accuracy of breast biopsy
A new technology developed by a research group headed by Nimmi Ramanujam, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UW–Madison, will be a "third eye" during breast biopsies and can increase the chance for an accurate clinical diagnosis of breast cancer. Read More
Study: Cancer drug Erbitux nearly doubles survival
Patients with head and neck cancer appear to survive nearly twice as long after receiving a new drug known as Erbitux (scientific name: cetuximab) in conjunction with radiation therapy compared with patients treated solely with radiation therapy. Read More
Researchers report major advance in gene therapy technique
A group of researchers from the Medical School, the Waisman Center and Mirus Bio Corporation reports a critical advance relating to one of the most fundamental and challenging problems of gene therapy: how to safely and effectively get therapeutic DNA inside cells. Read More
UW-Madison scientists find a key to cell division
A cellular structure discovered 125 years ago and dismissed by many biologists as "cellular garbage" has been found to play a key role in the process of cytokinesis, or cell division, one of the most ancient and important of all biological phenomena. Read More
Cranberry breeding program may soon bear fruit for growers
A cranberry variety developed by UW–Madison scientists with the help of local cranberry growers is now poised to give those same growers a competitive edge. Read More
First graduates boon to Wisconsin biotechnology
Two years ago, 10 students working as scientists, business managers and lawyers came together with a single goal: to become leaders in this state's burgeoning biotechnology industry. On Saturday, May 15, they will graduate as the first alumni of the master of science in biotechnology program at UW–Madison. Read More
Chemists find a new chink in TB’s armor
The family of bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy are notoriously sturdy. And although the diseases they cause have been held in check for the past 50 years by antibiotics, some strains are becoming increasingly resistant to existing therapy. Now, however, a new chink has been found in the cellular armor that makes these infectious diseases difficult to treat. Read More
Facility provides researchers powerful tool
Researchers can rapidly test tens of thousands of small, organic chemical compounds for their ability to alter biological processes at the Keck-UW Comprehensive Cancer Center Small Molecule Screening Facility, one of a handful of university facilities of its kind in North America. Read More