Category Science & Technology
New research helps explain why the solar wind is hotter than expected
When the sun expels plasma, the solar wind, which causes events such as auroras above the earth, cools as it expands through space — but not as much as the laws of physics would predict. UW–Madison physicists now know the reason.
Physicists to improve plasma fusion mirror devices with $5 million grant
It will serve as a prototype for the next generation of fusion reactors. "It’s a new look at an older concept using new technology,” says researcher Cary Forest.
Plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients tested as therapy at UW Health
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health are part of a nationwide effort to study whether the plasma can help shorten the duration or severity of the illness.
School of Pharmacy team produces hand sanitizer for UW Health
The school's Zeeh Pharmaceutical Experiment Station started production on March 20 and, in less than a week, provided more than 100 gallons of vitally important sanitizer.
Online platform matches health care facilities with face shield manufacturers
The platform created by UW–Madison engineers has made hundreds of connections between suppliers and buyers, based on order quantity and urgency, production capacity and geographic location.
Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene works with campus partners to test for COVID-19
Although the global surge in demand has made it more difficult in many places, WSLH’s colleagues at the university have pitched in to keep testing available in Wisconsin.
Chilling concussed cells shows promise for full recovery
“You can’t cool too little; you can’t cool too much; and you can’t wait too long following an injury to start treatment,” says mechanical engineer Christian Franck. And when the researchers identified that sweet spot, the results were striking.
UW–Madison, FluGen, Bharat Biotech to develop CoroFlu, a coronavirus vaccine
Refinement of the CoroFlu vaccine concept and testing in laboratory animal models at UW–Madison is expected to take three to six months. CoroFlu could be in human clinical trials by fall, 2020.
Deleting a gene prevents Type 1 diabetes in mice by disguising insulin-producing cells
The cellular sleight of hand, says biomolecular chemist Feyza Engin, may also suggest ways to prevent other diseases in which the immune system targets the body’s own cells.
UW–Madison engineers, local manufacturers race pandemic to protect healthcare workers
The group has built prototypes and launched a website where it's encouraging healthcare facilities, manufacturers and donors to fill out an intake form to help assess need and build more connections while production capacity is rapidly expanded.
Professors prepare carefully to offer alternative education starting March 23
UW–Madison has provided faculty and instructors with tools to prepare to teach their classes using alternative methods, many involving online instruction.
How new data can make ecological forecasts as good as weather forecasts
Just as recurring changes in climate have predictable consequences for humans thanks to decades of weather data, they also have predictable effects on plants and animals.
V. Craig Jordan, Michael G. Moore to receive honorary degrees from UW–Madison
Jordan, a groundbreaking cancer researcher, and Moore, a pioneer in the field of contemporary distance education, will be awarded honorary doctoral degrees during the winter 2020 commencement ceremonies in December.
Anthropology professor Karen Strier recognized as prominent primate conservationist in Brazil
For 38 years, Strier has maintained a long-term study site on a protected reserve in southeastern Brazil near the city of Caratinga, in the state of Minas Gerais, where she studies a species of monkey known as the muriqui, often called the hippie monkey.
This beetle got a boost when it partnered up with antifungal bacteria
In new research, scientists in the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy reveal the genetic history of this beetle-bacteria partnership. This kind of genetic detective work can help researchers decide where and how to look for new drugs.
Cells carrying Parkinson’s mutation could lead to new model for studying disease
The edited cells are a step toward studying the degenerative neurological disorder in a primate model, which has proven elusive.
Complex local conditions keep fields of dunes from going active all at once
New research on dunes in China describes how even neighboring dunes can long remain in different and seemingly conflicting states — confounding the assessment of stabilization efforts and masking the effects of climate change.
Baldwin, nominated by UW–Madison and Marquette, wins ‘Champion of Science’ award
The award honors members of Congress whose actions and votes consistently reflect their commitment to fundamental science through funding investment for federal research agencies.
New engineering professor outsmarted doubters, and Twitter loves it
Steffi Diem's viral tweet has been liked by nearly 50,000 people and retweeted more than 2,000 times, and hundreds are sharing their own stories of succeeding despite the doubts of others — and themselves.
Researchers wake monkeys by stimulating ‘engine’ of consciousness in brain
A small amount of electricity delivered at a specific frequency to a particular point in the brain will snap a monkey out of even deep anesthesia, pointing to a circuit of brain activity key to consciousness and suggesting potential treatments for debilitating brain disorders.