Tag Research
Lovely ‘snowfakes’ mimic nature, advance science
Exquisitely detailed and beautifully symmetrical, the snowflakes that David Griffeath makes are icy jewels of art. Read More
UW-Madison narrows field of potential WID research themes
The research direction of the rising Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID) is coming into sharper focus as UW–Madison this week (Feb. 20) announced the list of successful pre-proposals for the public half of the new public-private institute. Read More
Genetic information personalizes warfarin prescribing
Warfarin, one of the world's most widely used drugs, is also one of the trickiest to prescribe. Half of those who take it are at risk of serious problems when given the standard starting dose. Read More
Engineered bacterium churns out two new key antibiotics
In recent years, scientists have isolated two potent natural antibiotics - platensimycin and platencin - that are highly effective against bacterial infection, including those caused by the most dreaded drug-resistant microbes. Read More
Researchers cite President’s role in reducing racism
President Obama spurred a dramatic change in the way whites think about African-Americans before he had even set foot in the Oval Office, according to a new study. Read More
Project explores mechanics of major earthquake faults
CHICAGO - Deep-sea drilling into one of the most active earthquake zones on the planet is providing the first direct look at the geophysical fault properties underlying some of the world's largest earthquakes and tsunamis. The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is the first geologic study of the underwater subduction zone faults that give rise to the massive earthquakes known to seismologists as mega-thrust earthquakes. Read More
How do you mend a broken heart? Maybe someday with stem cells made from your skin
A little more than a year after University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists showed they could turn skin cells back into stem cells, they have pulsating proof that these "induced" stem cells can indeed form the specialized cells that make up heart muscle. Read More
Psychoactive compound activates mysterious receptor
A hallucinogenic compound found in a plant indigenous to South America and used in shamanic rituals regulates a mysterious protein that is abundant throughout the body, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have discovered. Read More
Sequences capture the code of the common cold
In an effort to confront our most familiar malady, scientists have deciphered the instruction manual for the common cold. Read More
UW-Madison computer scientist named to national engineering academy
A University of Wisconsin–Madison professor is among 65 engineers and nine foreign associates elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2009. Gurindar (Guri) Sohi, John P. Morgridge professor and E. David Cronon professor of computer sciences, has been ranked among the most distinguished engineers in the nation, peer-elected for their exceptional contributions to engineering research, practice or education. Read More
Mouse study reveals genetic component of empathy
The ability to empathize with others is partially determined by genes, according to new research on mice from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Read More
Two-step chemical process turns raw biomass into biofuel
Taking a chemical approach, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a two-step method to convert the cellulose in raw biomass into a promising biofuel. The process, which is described in the Wednesday, Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is unprecedented in its use of untreated, inedible biomass as the starting material. Read More
Mathematical models reveal how organisms transcend the sum of their genes
Molecular and cellular biologists have made tremendous scientific advances by dissecting apart the functions of individual genes, proteins, and pathways. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering are looking to expand that understanding by putting the pieces back together, mathematically. Read More
Genetic change prevents cell death in mouse model of Parkinson’s disease
By shifting a normal protective mechanism into overdrive, a University of Wisconsin–Madison scientist has completely shielded mice from a toxic chemical that would otherwise cause Parkinson's disease. Read More
Single gene lets bacteria jump from host to host
All life - plants, animals, people - depends on peaceful coexistence with a swarm of microbial life that performs vital services from helping to convert food to energy to protection from disease. Read More
Vet Medicine launches a new approach to E. coli food safety
Infection by Eschericia.coli O157:H7 from undercooked cattle meat proves deadly to about 60 people in the U.S. each year. While testing is available to detect the presence of the bacterium in raw meat, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison would prefer to address the problem before the meat is sent to market. Read More
Research uncovers surprising lion stronghold in war-torn central Africa
Times are tough for wildlife living at the frontier between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Armies are reportedly encamped in a national park and wildlife preserve on the Congolese side, while displaced herders and their cattle have settled in an adjoining Ugandan park. Read More
Study firms up idea that triceratops used horns in duels with rivals
Because nobody was around to witness their use, the functions of the impressive horns and frill of the familiar dinosaur triceratops have been a matter of speculation. Read More
Early childhood stress has lingering effects on health
Stressful experiences in early childhood can have long-lasting impacts on kids' health that persist well beyond the resolution of the situation. Read More
New program aims to enhance operations of Wisconsin biotech companies
The University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) have partnered to launch a biotechnology process improvement program, working with local firms NeoClone in Madison, Catalent in Middleton and Invitrogen in Milwaukee. Read More