Category Science & Technology
‘Foray’ draws scientists to Wisconsin in search of mushrooms, fellowship
Now in its 44th year, the Smith Lake States Mycological Foray gathers mushroom experts to collect samples, share mycological gossip and debate the evolution of these enigmatic organisms. Read More
EatStreet snaps up campus award for entrepreneurship
EatStreet now serves more than 15,000 restaurants in more than 275 cities. It has 175 employees at its headquarters, just off the Capitol Square in Madison, and more than 1,200 drivers. Read More
Could yesterday’s Earth contain clues for making tomorrow’s medicines?
UW-Madison researchers have described initial steps toward achieving chemistries that encode information in a variety of conditions that might mimic the environment of prehistoric Earth. Read More
UW–Madison physics professor receives Moore Inventor Fellowship
Victor Brar is making new light sources the old-fashioned way, developing one to fill a niche where lasers are too expensive and LEDs inefficient. Read More
After 20 years, stem cells mean business in Wisconsin
At least 10 Wisconsin businesses fundamentally depend, in one way or another, on pluripotent stem cells. In our continuing series, we profile each of these companies, spun off from UW–Madison research. Read More
Venom shape untangles scorpion family tree
It’s the first time that the shape of molecules has been used in place of anatomy to organize evolutionary relationships, suggesting new ways to disentangle the many complicated family trees found throughout nature. Read More
Need to talk to your data? UW–Madison spinoff is happy to translate
UW-Madison computer science professor Jignesh Patel and Rogers Jeffrey Leo John, a recent graduate student, founded DataChat in June, 2017, with the goal of making it more efficient for businesses to get insights from data. Read More
Bridging the gap: Teaching bridge safety to next generation of railroaders
After taking an Engineering Professional Development class at UW–Madison, these professionals will be in a better position to ensure safety on rails that carry passengers, freight and flammable or toxic chemicals. Read More
Broad genome analysis shows yeasts evolving by subtraction
An analysis of the way yeasts evolved individual appetites for particular food sources may be a boon to biofuels research. Read More
Woodland hawks flock to urban buffet
A team of Wisconsin researchers documents that woodland hawks — once in precipitous decline — have become firmly established in urban environments, thriving primarily on a diet of backyard birds. Read More
Randolph Ashton named SCRMC associate director
Ashton, a leading UW–Madison stem cell scientist whose lab develops novel tissue engineering methods to derive brain and spinal cord tissues from human pluripotent stem cells, will assume a leadership position with the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center. Read More
New master’s in quantum computing offers training for a growing field
In a single calendar year, the program will catch students up on the fundamentals of quantum physics, cover the theory behind quantum computing, and teach students laboratory skills to construct the devices. Read More
Professor takes on climate change by promoting science literacy through music, art, comics
A UW–Madison geoscience professor has come up with new ways to teach science to non-science undergraduate students, in hopes of awakening their "inner scientists." Read More
Food processors, UW collaborate to remove guesswork from wastewater disposal
The results of a three-year study offer some support for the belief that much of the nitrogen in the wastewater from cheese-making and vegetable processing leaves the soil and harmlessly enters the atmosphere. Read More
Twenty years on, measuring the impact of human stem cells
Beginning with just five cell lines derived from surplus embryos donated by patients who had finished undergoing fertility treatments, human stem cell science has mushroomed from just a few isolated labs to a burgeoning global industry and launched the new field of regenerative medicine. Read More
Center for Trustworthy Machine Learning established with $10 million NSF grant
UW-Madison is part of a consortium that received a $10 million NSF grant that will work toward understanding the risks inherent to machine learning, and developing the tools, metrics and methods to manage and mitigate these risks. Read More
A splash of silver turns diamond films shades of green, blue or purple
A UW–Madison researcher has succeeded in creating an array of colorful thin diamond films, which will help explore light-powered chemical reactions catalyzed by diamond. Read More
Washington Post’s Helmuth is UW Science Writer in Residence
Laura Helmuth, the newspaper's health, science and environment editor, will spend a week visiting classes, working with students and faculty, and exploring the UW–Madison research landscape. Read More
Science-A-Thon celebrates a day in the life of a scientist
Scientists from around the world will share photos of a typical day for the social media campaign, designed to exhibit and promote diversity in science and raise funds for scientific mentoring. Participating scientists will post 12 photos over 12 hours on social media, an hour-by-hour snapshot of a day in the lab, field or classroom, using the hashtag #dayofscience. Read More
Red-hued yeasts hold clues to producing better biofuels
The work is a key step toward large-scale production of isobutanol, which has has a higher energy content, blends better with gasoline, causes less corrosion, and is more compatible with existing engine technology, than ethanol. Read More