Category Science & Technology
A UW biochemistry researcher is studying effective treatments for the next pandemic. Federal funding changes are slowing the work.
UW–Madison biochemistry professor Robert Kirchdoerfer is studying the structure of coronaviruses like COVID-19 to better understand how they work and to help develop drugs that protect against them.
Meet some of the notable UW–Madison graduates of spring 2025
So many mortarboards, so many impressive students. This weekend, thousands of UW–Madison graduates will become the newest members of the worldwide Badger alumni network. Many have already left a lasting impact — on campus and far beyond. Here are just a few. Consider them a small subset of the excellence of the UW–Madison Class of 2025.
Beyond the weather forecast: 5 ways UW satellite technology helps save lives
The University of Wisconsin–Madison may be the birthplace of satellite meteorology, but scientists on campus have never stopped developing new ways for space-based instruments to protect and improve the lives of people back on Earth.
Four UW–Madison professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The UW–Madison inductees are political philosopher Harry Brighouse, social psychologist Patricia Devine, political scientist Lisa Martin and cognitive neuroscientist Mark Seidenberg.
AI, data science and the transformation of scientific research: A primer
The pace of technological advancement in AI and data science can be overwhelming. Here are 10 things to know about the two closely related yet distinct fields that are driving research and innovation in one of Wisconsin's key industries: agriculture.
Remembering Professor Emerit Ann Palmenberg, renowned leader in virology
Enthusiastic, jovial and persistent, Palmenberg rarely did anything halfway, at work or at home. She made it her mission to find ways to connect with everyone she met — and if that meant an opportunity to share the coolest thing she did in the lab that week, all the better.
UW–Madison researchers win prestigious Sloan fellowships
UW–Madison’s 2025 Sloan Fellows are James Roberts Crall, assistant professor of entomology, and Sharon Yixuan Li, assistant professor of computer sciences.
New discovery on how plants detect light and grow could result in more resilient crops
UW researchers isolated the effects of certain photoreceptors through genetic manipulation editing and photographed the growth of tiny sprouting seedlings with highly sensitive cameras.
Dinosaurs roamed the northern hemisphere millions of years earlier than previously thought, according to new analysis of the oldest North American fossils
A newly described dinosaur whose fossils were uncovered by UW paleontologists is challenging the existing narrative with evidence that the reptiles were present in the northern hemisphere millions of years earlier than previously known.
Project to explore enzyme behind early evolution of life on Earth
A team of scientists at UW–Madison led by bacteriology professor Betül Kaçar will explore the paleoenvironments and ancient history of Earth by bridging paleontology, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and evolution.
Threat of abrupt mortality events keeps endangered monkey population at risk, despite decades of growth
Researchers hope their work eventually could inform conservation policies that might improve habitat quality management or create habitat corridors between isolated populations of the muriquis.
UW researchers find previously unknown links between microbial bile acids and the risk of colon cancer
A team of UW–Madison scientists have uncovered that bile acids produced by the liver to help digest food may affect our risk for developing colon cancer.
New tool makes quick health, environmental monitoring possible
Vatsan Raman, who has received a provisional patent for this work, sees broad applications for the technology his lab developed, including field tests that identify pollutants in local water sources in minutes and at-home tests that track health indicators.
How might pulsed microwaves harm the brain? UW–Madison engineers lead the search for answers
UW-Madison engineers will leverage cutting-edge research techniques to investigate changes — spanning the molecular level to the animal level — that occur in the brain due to pulsed microwave exposure.
Human stem cell-derived heart cells are safe in monkeys, could treat congenital heart disease
Regenerating tissue to support healthy heart function could keep hearts beating stronger and longer, and this is where stem cell research is stepping in.
Gene therapy protects against motor neuron disease in rats
The gene therapy approach allowed the non-mutated gene to be expressed in neurons and better support the transportation of proteins, preventing disease.
UW–Madison researchers find persistent problems with AI-assisted genomic studies
Researchers are increasingly attempting to work around this problem by bridging data gaps with ever more sophisticated AI tools.
H5N1 virus isolated from infected dairy worker is 100% lethal in ferrets, but does not appear to be circulating in nature anymore
The findings highlight the risks posed by a virus that continues to spread among dairy cattle and occasionally to farm workers, and the study's lead scientist says he was surprised by the ease with which this particular strain was able to kill ferrets.
An ancient animal is helping scientists improve modern technology
Proteins from water bears can help solve a major technological challenge when it comes to getting high-quality microscope images of a diversity of cellular structures and proteins using a technique called cryogenic electron microscopy or cryo-EM.
UW–Madison researchers use AI to identify sex-specific risks associated with brain tumors
UW–Madison researchers are using AI models to find patterns that could pinpoint characteristics that might help doctors forecast which tumors are likely to grow more quickly.