From cows to wows

Dairy Barn envisioned as life sciences museum

For 100 years, the distinctive UW–Madison Dairy Barn has showcased new ideas to Wisconsin farmers, from the benefits of round silos to newfangled milking machines.

Today, a group of UW–Madison staff have another barn raising in mind for the next 100 years of this historical treasure. The group is working to generate excitement for transforming the aging barn into a hands-on Museum of Living Sciences, giving the public a place to explore biology research in progress.

Tom Zinnen, outreach specialist for the UW–Madison Biotechnology Center who is organizing the effort, likes to call it the transition “from cows to wows.” True to the building that houses it, Zinnen imagines no ordinary museum filled with static displays.

A spirit of experimentation would be alive in the facility. Visitors would have a chance to extract DNA from a plant, examine fungi, grow bacteria or handle calves, sheep and poultry. Like real science, the museum-goers could delve into active mysteries.

“Most museums tell you about stuff the world already knows,” says Zinnen. “Here we would involve people in things we’re working on that are unknown. Rather than giving people fish, we’ll be giving them fishing tackle.”

Other planners for the project include Neal Jorgensen, a former dean and longtime researcher, teacher and administrator in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Another key promoter is Charles Law, a UW Extension lecturer who leads a statewide program to put old barns to new uses.

Zinnen says it’s an ambitious idea, since the 36,000 square-foot building needs considerable renovation. Such a restoration would likely cost millions and take at least five years.

“We’re thinking big,” he says. “This is a state of five million people and one million people visit this campus each year. UW–Madison is one of the largest institutions of life sciences in the country.”

Giving Wisconsin citizens and alumni a place to connect with UW- Madison life sciences is a fundamental goal of the project. Zinnen says biological science buildings span 1.5 miles on campus, yet there are few places where the public can get an overview. Such a museum would be fertile ground for promoting interest in science as a career for young people.

The Dairy Barn, at 1915 Linden Drive, has a storied history. The barn was completed in 1898 with $19,000 in state money, and displayed some landmark ideas. An experimental “tower silo” designed by scientist Franklin King illustrated a novel approach to storing cattle feed. It was a precursor to the towering silos that came to define Wisconsin’s rural landscape.

Even more influential were experiments conducted inside the barn. In the early 1900s, a series of cattle feeding experiments led by biochemistry professor Elmer McCollum led the discovery of the first vitamin — vitamin A — a finding that revolutionized animal and human nutrition.

The vitamin story is a nice metaphor for the goal of the museum, Zinnen says. McCollum had no idea his feeding experiments would lead to such a fundamental milestone in nutrition. Zinnen says it’s a great example of how serendipity drives science.

The Museum of Living Sciences proposal now needs broader support, Zinnen says. “For this to work, we need to persuade the university community that it’s a great thing to have taxpayers understand why we do research.”

To learn more about the Museum of Living Sciences, visit its web site at: http://www.biotech.wisc.edu/Education/moo/. For comments or ideas about the project, contact Zinnen at (608) 265-2420.