Forage specialists apply their expertise to bioenergy research
Michael Casler and Paul Weimer are experts on matters related to forage digestibility in dairy cows. So how did they end up doing research on use of biomass crops for ethanol production?
Tag: research
Microbial “blueprint”may unlock mysteries of wastewater treatment
New drug blocks influenza, including bird flu virus
Opening a new front in the war against flu, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have reported the discovery of a novel compound that confers broad protection against influenza viruses, including deadly avian influenza.
Study: Earlier crop plantings may curb future yields
In an ongoing bid to grow more corn, farmers in the U.S. Corn Belt are planting seeds much earlier today than they did 30 years ago, a new study has found. Poring over three decades of agricultural records, Christopher Kucharik, an associate scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discovered that farmers in 12 U.S. states now put corn in the ground around two weeks earlier than they did during the late 1970s.
Stem Cells 101: Meet Wisconsin’s research leaders
Southeastern Wisconsin residents will have a unique opportunity on Oct. 10 to hear about the promises and limitations of stem cell research directly from the Wisconsin professors and researchers working in the field.
‘Failed’ experiment produces a bacterial Trojan horse
A failed experiment turned out to be anything but for bacteriologist Marcin Filutowicz. As he was puzzling out why what should have been a routine procedure wouldn’t work, he made a discovery that led to the creation of a new biological tool for destroying bacterial pathogens – one that doesn’t appear to trigger antibiotic resistance.
Professor puts a new spin on pest management with the ‘Weedometer’
In his weed ecology course, UW–Madison agronomist Ed Luschei assigns his students a project with only one requirement: “Do something useful for someone.”
Professor’s work underscores importance of family in caring for people with disabilities
The story that Sandra Magaña tells her social work classes is a tale of challenges and of how people rise to them. It also illustrates a crucial point. The object lesson, Magaña says, is to describe in human terms how important the family is to Hispanic and Latino parents in caring for adult children with disabilities.
New angiogenesis finding may help fight cancer growth
A researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health has discovered a new part of the complicated mechanism that governs the formation of blood vessels, or angiogenesis.
Glue made from ethanol-production leftovers may be worth more than the fuel
Mixing up a batch of ethanol from alfalfa or switchgrass isn’t nearly as efficient as creating it from corn, but that doesn’t mean growing grass crops for fuel won’t pay, says a University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher.
Computer scientist spearheads $30 million ‘Open Science Grid’
University of Wisconsin-Madison computer scientists will play a central role in the expansion of a national “Open Science Grid” (OSG), an interconnected computing infrastructure that provides scientists with a massive infusion of computing power and storage capacity to solve large, data-intensive challenges in science.
EcoHealth One conference to explore global health, environment
Nearly 300 people from around the world will gather October 6-10 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the program “EcoHealth One,” the first international conference of a newly expanded consortium of human and wildlife health experts, ecologists, conservation biologists, and social scientists exploring the links between ecology and our health.
Most widely used organic pesticide requires help to kill
The world’s most widely used organic insecticide, a plucky bacterium known as Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt for short, requires the assistance of other microbes to perform its insect-slaying work, a new University of Wisconsin-Madison study has found.
Dietetics students get hands-on kitchen experience
From planning to shopping, chopping and arranging flowers, seven dietetics students had a final exam last May that involved everything but the standard blue books and bubble sheets.
Cancer center honors past leaders
The School of Medicine and Public Health will celebrate its role in cancer research and treatment by renaming two centers in honor of two revered leaders.
Technology helps foster ‘democratization of cartography’
Mark Harrower recalls a raging debate in his field in the 1970s, when some geographers worried that commercial map-making software would trigger the demise of cartography. But rather than sully the field, Harrower says the new technology — combined with the explosion of availability of geospatial information — is fueling one of the most exciting eras in his profession.
National stem cell bank announces addition of new cell lines
The National Stem Cell Bank has expanded its offering of human embryonic stem cell lines to include cells from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), it announced today (Sept. 19). With the addition of the UCSF lines, the National Stem Cell Bank will soon have on deposit 13 of the 21 cell lines on the federal registry.
Lab life: A look inside undergraduate research
For undergraduates at UW–Madison studying the agricultural and life sciences — genetics, biology, food science and biochemistry, among others — working in a laboratory is a rite of passage.
Professor introduces unusual edible fungus to Madison
Huitlacoche stands at the precise intersection of agronomy, cultural anthropology, economics and the culinary arts.
New technology helps foster ‘democratization of cartography’
Mark Harrower recalls a raging debate in his field in the 1970s, when some geographers worried that commercial map-making software would trigger the demise of cartography.