Category Science & Technology

Slide show: Northwoods partners

October 17, 2011

The complex interplay between the earth's climate on global and local levels drives UW–Madison atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor Ankur Desai's research. In September, students from the soils and waters course at the College of the Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wis., joined Desai's team to get a look at the high-tech methods researchers use to monitor carbon flux — the movement of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in and out of plants, water and soil.

UW-Madison global fishery expert wins prestigious fellowship

October 17, 2011

Peter McIntyre, an assistant professor of zoology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has won an $850,000, five-year Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Medical foods for PKU diet enter phase II clinical trials

October 11, 2011

Mealtimes aren't quite as enjoyable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU) as they are for the rest of us. Those with this genetic disorder have to get their protein by drinking a foul-tasting amino acid "formula." At the same time, they must avoid natural proteins - eschewing burgers, ice cream and even regular bread - because they lack the enzyme needed to process phenylalanine, one of the 19 amino acids that comprise protein.

Bird song app identifies feathered friends by tweets

October 11, 2011

Squinting into wind-blown trees and bushes is for the birds, especially if it’s the birds you're looking for.

Building a new cadre of science faculty, center makes next big leap

October 10, 2011

The national experiment to develop a new generation of college science and engineering faculty, one equipped to excel in the classroom as well as the lab, is about to shift into high gear.

Research explores virus movement in Madison groundwater

October 9, 2011

According to the conventional wisdom, drinking water taken from a deep aquifer protected by a semi-permeable layer of rock should be protected from many contaminants, including viruses.

Psychologist to explain 3-D perception to National Geographic audience

October 7, 2011

Bas Rokers, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will illustrate how our brains process visual motion and depth during the three-part National Geographic television series "Brain Games."

Decade of effort yields diabetes susceptibility gene

October 6, 2011

Ten years of meticulous mouse breeding, screening and record-keeping have finally paid off for Alan Attie and his lab members.

Electricity from the nose: Engineers make power from human respiration

October 6, 2011

The same effect that ignites your gas grill with the push of a button could one day power sensors in your body via the respiration in your nose.

Clocking the mosh pit of interstellar space

October 5, 2011

The space between the stars in the Milky Way and all other galaxies is full of dust and gas, the raw materials from which stars and planets are made.

Stuff ‘n’ food: Can collectible toys overcome fascination with fast food?

September 28, 2011

Every parent seems to know what McDonald's knows: Food and toys outsell food alone. But could toys be used to promote the sale of healthy food as well as calorie-rich fast food?

Jumping gene enabled key step in corn domestication

September 25, 2011

In seeking to better understand how teosinte gave rise to corn, a scientific team has pinpointed one of the key genetic changes that paved the way for corn's domestication.

Study: Advantages of single-sex schooling a myth

September 22, 2011

As Madison deals with a proposal to establish a single-sex charter school, a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of psychology is one author of an article that calls the scientific case for single-sex schools "pseudoscience."

UW–Madison botanist plucks new flower from Isle Royale

September 22, 2011

One of the world's newest sunflower species, discovered by a University of Wisconsin–Madison botanist, has carved out a very small but safe niche on an island in Lake Superior.

Wisconsin engineer, entrepreneur move ‘green’ diesel engine closer to market

September 19, 2011

A University of Wisconsin–Madison engineer is collaborating with a Wisconsin entrepreneur to produce a diesel engine that could be a quieter, more efficient power source for a variety of household and industrial applications, including lawn equipment and electric generators.

Mouse genome sequences reveal variability, complex evolutionary history

September 15, 2011

The genome of even a single organism is packed with information. A new paper, building on recent advances in sequencing capability, now reports the complete genomes of 17 different strains of mice, creating an unparalleled genetic resource that will aid studies ranging from human disease to evolution.

Interim chancellor’s memo to lawmakers regarding proposed fetal tissue ban

September 14, 2011

Here is the text of a memo sent by UW–Madison Interim Chancellor David Ward to all members of the state Legislature regarding a bill that would ban the acquisition and use of fetal tissue in scientific research.

Study reveals critical similarity between two types of do-it-all stem cells

September 11, 2011

Ever since human induced pluripotent stem cells were first derived in 2007, scientists have wondered whether they were functionally equivalent to embryonic stem cells, which are sourced in early stage embryos.

In cell culture, like real estate, the neighborhood matters

August 28, 2011

Ever since scientists first began growing human cells in lab dishes in 1952, they have focused on improving the chemical soup that feeds the cells and helps regulate their growth. But surfaces also matter, says Laura Kiessling, a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who observes that living cells are normally in contact with each other and with a structure called the extracellular matrix, not just with the dissolved chemicals in their surroundings.

Organic Field Day set Aug. 30

August 22, 2011

University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers will host an Organic Field Day on Tuesday, August 30 from 1–3:30p.m. at the UW Arlington Agricultural Research Station.