Category Science & Technology
Pollutants are important to biodiversity’s role in spread of wildlife diseases
Researchers found that environmental pollutants like road salt influence whether increased biodiversity helps or hinders disease outbreaks in wildlife, which can complicate how we value protecting diverse animal communities. Read More
Mapping methane emissions from rivers around globe reveals surprising sources
The findings will improve methane estimates and models of climate change, and point to land-management changes and restoration opportunities that can reduce the amount of methane escaping into the atmosphere. Read More
During pandemic, proponents of ‘doing your own research’ believed more COVID misinformation
DYOR fans among the researcher’s panel of survey respondents grew more distrustful and more ill-informed about COVID-19 even as news of successful vaccine trials emerged. Read More
The Sky’s the Limit: Autistic youth explore science on their terms at STEM camp
Rotating through stations, campers learn to estimate the canopy cover of a nearby wooded area (by pretending they’re aliens), calculate the ages of tree rings and create mini ecosystems in Mason jars. Read More
New recycling process could find markets for ‘junk’ plastic waste
A new plastics recycling method reduces emissions by 60 percent and opens the door to the reuse of materials like plastic film, multilayer materials and colored plastics. Read More
Researchers are using monkey poop to learn how an endangered species chooses its mates
Using DNA extracted from fecal samples, researchers at UW–Madison and the University of Texas at Austin are better able to understand the reproductive patterns of the endangered northern muriqui. Read More
Cancer diagnosis and treatment could get a boost from machine learning
Liquid biopsies rely on simple blood draws instead of taking a piece of cancerous tissue from a tumor with a needle. Read More
Ackerman to retire from vice chancellor for research and graduate education post
Ackerman, who came to UW–Madison as a researcher in 1987, rose through the university's leadership ranks while remaining a dedicated researcher and mentor. He has announced his plans to retire effective Sept. 15. Read More
New maps show antimicrobial resistance varies within Wisconsin neighborhoods
Mapping variations in antibiotic resistance could help patients receive better informed treatment decisions from their health care providers. Read More
Fueled by new chemistry, algorithm mines fungi for useful molecules
Researchers have trained a new algorithm based on promising new targets and reinvigorated the search for clusters of genes likely to result in interesting biological compounds. Read More
Picturing the places wildlands and people meet at a global scale
Led by a team at UW–Madison, researchers have created the first global map of wildland-human interfaces. Their findings, recently published in Nature, could improve responses to environmental conflicts like wildfires, the spread of zoonotic diseases and loss of ecosystem biodiversity. Read More
Art that integrates data visualizations can help bridge the US political divide over climate change
Researchers have shown that combining climate data with visually engrossing art can make data more meaningful to viewers and bridge political divides related to climate science. Read More
IceCube shows Milky Way galaxy is a neutrino desert
For the first time, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has produced an image of the Milky Way using neutrinos — tiny, ghostlike astronomical messengers. Read More
With sheer determination, researchers can make tough materials that bend without breaking
Their findings could lead to new ways of increasing the toughness of a wide array of materials. Read More
UW will launch materials engineering research initiative with major NSF sponsorship
UW's Materials Research Science and Engineering Center bring together teams of researchers from diverse backgrounds to better understand disordered materials, including various types of glass, as well as the emergence of order from disordered materials. Read More
UW–Madison researchers reveal how key protein might help influenza A infect its hosts
Scientists have found that a key viral protein produced by influenza A can shred a host cell's genetic materials while leaving the virus unharmed. Read More
In a first, researchers image adaptive immune systems at work in fish
A new study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison offers a first-of-its-kind visual of a non-mammal species' adaptive immune system in action. Read More
Bacteria with a taste for an inflammatory compound could help protect against heart disease
Some microbes in the guts of humans and mice may help control the buildup of plaque in arteries, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, by gobbling up a group of inflammatory chemicals before they can circulate in the body. Read More
Federal grants to 2 Wisconsin startups highlight UW’s leading role in fusion energy
The two companies' Wisconsin roots and national recognition are the result of decades of fusion investment and innovation at UW–Madison. Read More
Archaeologists uncover evidence of intentional burial, cave engravings by early human ancestor
Until now, scholars believed that the mental capacity behind complex cultural behaviors like burial and mark-making required a larger brain, like those of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Read More