Category Science & Technology
Bacterial supermachine reveals streamlined protein assembly line
Biochemists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany have revealed the defined architecture of what is called the “expressome.” Read More
Antibiotic alternatives, delivered by friendly microbes
A University of Wisconsin–Madison professor is looking to probiotics as a way to sneak in antibiotic-free treatment for Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, a resilient gastrointestinal pathogen. Read More
They look like surgeons: UW Health women surgeons spark meme
Take a magazine cover drawn by a French artist, add in the feminist spirit of Wisconsin surgeons, and you get a Twitter meme that travels the world. Read More
Madison company obtains FDA approval for sleep-data software
Ensodata, a UW–Madison spinoff that sifts through mountains of data from studies at sleep centers, received approval from the Food and Drug Administration on April 11 for its main product to be a medical device. Read More
UW project brings Milky Way’s ionized hydrogen into focus
Building on efforts to tease out a new and mostly hidden feature of our galaxy, UW–Madison astronomers developed a spectrometer capable of detecting the faint, diffuse light emanating from the space between the stars. Read More
Spinoff that puts phosphorus in its place signs key contract
In a bit of high-tech judo, a UW–Madison spinoff has started selling a technology to transform phosphorus at wastewater treatment plants from a major headache into an asset. Read More
Road salt is making North America’s freshwater lakes, well, saltier
Road salt is making North America’s freshwater lakes saltier, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read More
Internet Atlas maps the physical internet to enhance security
A thorough understanding of the internet’s physical makeup has only recently emerged, thanks to painstaking work by UW–Madison researchers and their collaborators. Read More
UW–Madison launches STEM Diversity Network
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has launched the STEM Diversity Network, a website and collection of resources for students, faculty and staff in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Read More
Renewable plastic precursor could grow cellulosic biofuel industry
A team of chemical and biological engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has found a way to produce from biomass a valuable compound used in plastic production that they estimate could lower the cost of ethanol produced from plant material by more than two dollars per gallon. Read More
NSF selects 18 UW–Madison students for competitive graduate research award
“The GRFP program is looking not just for great scientists, but for great scientists who will be the scientific leaders and communicators of the future,” says Prof. Robert Hamers. Read More
Experiments test how easy life itself might be
UW scientists are trying to understand how life could arise from lifelike chemical reactions under the right conditions, with implications for understanding how common life might be in the universe. Read More
Catching some rays
A team of researchers at UW–Madison is building cameras that can see the arrival from space of gamma rays, marked by a cascade of subatomic particles created when the rays smash molecules in the atmosphere. Read More
Simpler detection for ketosis helps support state dairies
“Advances like KetoMonitor help us keep the herd healthy, and allow us to stay competitive,” says Roxbury dairy farmer Mitch Breunig. “That’s the kind of help we really need.” Read More
Massive, computer-analyzed geological database reveals chemistry of ancient ocean
Why did easy-to-see and once-common structures called stromatolites essentially cease forming over the long arc of earth history? Read More
Author Erik Vance is UW–Madison science writer in residence
Vance will spend a week on the UW–Madison campus, staring April 3, working with students, faculty and staff interested in science communication and science journalism. Read More
When it comes to biological populations, expect the unexpected
More than three decades of data on the physical, chemical and biological variables in 11 Midwestern lakes show that while lake temperatures and nutrient concentrations rise within relatively expected ranges, biological organisms achieve high population extremes. Read More
‘KinderMining’: Tackling big data sets by keeping things simple
A Morgridge Institute for Research team has unleashed a fast, simple and predictive text-mining tool that may turbocharge big biomedical pursuits such as drug repurposing and stem cell treatments. Read More
Professor honored by American Academy of Microbiology
David Andes researches antibiotic resistance, aiming to understand how pathogens resist treatment and how to overcome their defenses. Read More
Enzyme structures illuminate mechanism behind bacteria’s bioremediation prowess
The work is important because it provides a glimpse of the mechanics of a process that could be harnessed to help clean up oil spills and create valuable new chemicals. Read More