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Tag Microbiology

Tom Brock, who discovered world-changing extremophiles, dies at 94

April 26, 2021

One of the species Brock discovered helped usher in the modern era of molecular biology and underpins today’s PCR tests for the COVID-19 virus.

UW’s Elizabeth McCoy was a pioneer of 20th century microbiology

July 15, 2020

As a woman in a field dominated by men, McCoy rarely received the accolades that her male colleagues did, but by all accounts, she felt welcome at the university and respected by her peers.

Thanks to science, parasite can have sex in mice, not just cats

July 29, 2019

The work could lead to a vaccine for cats and throws a critical lifeline to scientists who study the parasite by providing a new animal model in which to study it.

A Trojan horse? Immune cells ferry deadly fungus from mouse lung into the blood

June 27, 2019

New research shows how inhaled fungal spores exit the lung and trigger a fatal infection in mice. It appears that lung macrophages abandon their posts as bodyguards and begin smuggling spores into the bloodstream.

Microbiology capstone course plumbs life’s mysteries in the deep ocean

May 8, 2019

In a capstone research project, dozens of senior microbiology majors are coaxing their microscopic subjects back to life and dissecting their genetic information in hopes of illuminating how their harsh ecosystems function.

A hidden world of communication, chemical warfare, beneath the soil

May 22, 2018

New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows how some harmful microbes have to contend not just with a farmer’s chemical attacks, but also with their microscopic neighbors — and themselves turn to chemical warfare to ward off threats.

Finding useful chemicals from fungi, faster

June 12, 2017

Fungi are rich sources of natural molecules for drug discovery, but many challenges have pushed pharmaceutical companies away from tapping into this bounty. Now scientists…

Termite gut holds a secret to breaking down plant biomass

April 17, 2017

In the Microbial Sciences Building at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the incredibly efficient eating habits of a fungus-cultivating termite are surprising even to those well acquainted with the insect’s natural gift for turning wood to dust.

Byzantine skeleton yields 800-year-old genomes from a fatal infection

January 10, 2017

Researchers discovered extraordinarily well preserved microfossils — mineralized ‘ghost cells’ — that closely resembled bacteria from the genus Staphylococcus.

UW biotech spinoff Mirus Bio celebrates two decades in business

June 17, 2016

The company makes cutting-edge products based on discoveries by three UW scientists for delivering DNA and RNA into cells.

The color of blood: Pigment helps stage symbiosis in squid

May 15, 2014

The small but charismatic Hawaiian bobtail squid is known for its predator-fooling light organ.

Microbiome and human health workshop

August 29, 2013

The opportunity to couple this emerging field and a traditional strength of UW–Madison — large longitudinal studies such as the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study; the Beaver Dam Eye Study; MIDUS, Midlife in the United States; and the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort — will be explored in a small, one-day workshop to be sponsored by the Center for Demography of Health and Aging and the Center for Demography and Ecology.

Tuberculosis genomes portray secrets of pathogen’s success

August 21, 2013

By any measure, tuberculosis (TB) is a wildly successful pathogen. It infects as many as two billion people in every corner of the world, with a new infection of a human host estimated to occur every second.