Tag Research
‘Super pest’ Colorado potato beetle has the genetic resources to sidestep our attacks
New research reveals how diversity within its genome has allowed the pest to quickly evolve resistance to nearly anything humans have thrown at it. Read More
Researchers are using machine learning to understand how brain cells work
Called manifold learning, the approach may help researchers better understand and even predict brain disorders by looking at specific neuronal properties. Read More
Ultraprecise atomic clock poised for new physics discoveries
The clock's design allows the team to test ways to search for gravitational waves, attempt to detect dark matter, and discover new physics with clocks. Read More
Four UW–Madison researchers awarded prestigious Sloan Fellowships
Each fellow receives $75,000 in research funding from the foundation, which awards Sloan Research Fellowships in eight scientific and technical fields to promising researchers in the early stages of their careers. Read More
Study finds tributaries play significant role in Great Lakes PFAS loading
The sources of the chemicals in the study are likely linked to a firefighting foam manufacturer, other industrial activity, and airports which use firefighting foam on runways. Read More
Fog detection software helps airlines keep travelers safe
The software uses machine learning techniques with near real-time data from weather satellites to monitor conditions 24/7 and issue potential fog warnings. Read More
UW-built instrument will enhance views of distant galaxies
A near-infrared spectrograph, which splits light into its individual colors to form a rainbow-like spectrum, will soon be shipped to South Africa from UW–Madison. Custom-built here by staff in the Washburn Astronomical Laboratories, it will expand the capabilities of the Southern African Large Telescope. Read More
New UW–Madison research projects to benefit Great Lakes
Wisconsin Sea Grant announced 12 new two-year research projects worth $2.8 million that build Great Lakes understanding, leading to science-based management and policy decisions. Six are at UW–Madison. Read More
Coral skeleton formation rate determines resilience to acidifying oceans
A new UW–Madison study has implications for predicting coral reef survival and developing mitigation strategies against having their bony skeletons weakened by ocean acidification. Read More
Microbes help hibernating animals recycle nutrients, maintain muscle through winter
The discovery could help people with muscle-wasting disorders and even astronauts on extended space voyages by putting space travelers into a hibernation-like state. Read More
Current anti-COVID pills work well against omicron, but antibody drugs are less effective
Public health officials expect antiviral pills to become an increasingly common treatment for COVID-19 that will reduce the severity of the disease in at-risk patients and decrease the burden of the pandemic. Read More
Cannabis marketers targeting kids on social media, despite prohibitions
A new study led by the UW School of Medicine and Public Health finds many recreational cannabis companies market their products in a way that appeals to children and teens, despite state-based regulations prohibiting it. Read More
Researchers seeking study participants to lose weight — by phone
Log2Lose, an 18-month study, aims to help people build habits for a healthier lifestyle by sending them motivational text messages and providing an app to keep track of what they eat. Read More
UW–Madison researchers lead effort to create a universal coronavirus vaccine
If the world already had a pan-coronavirus vaccine in March 2020, it could have served as a mitigation tool until vaccines specific to SARS-CoV-2 could be developed. Read More
Mysterious ‘blue lurker’ stars likely got a spin boost by absorbing their partners
The stars, discovered a few years ago, were spinning far too quickly given their age. Nicknamed “blue lurkers,” they hid for decades within clusters of other stars. Read More
Boosting one gene in the brain’s helper cells slows Alzheimer’s progression in mice
High activity of the gene, Nrf2, slowed cognitive and physical decline in the mice and reduced the accumulation of sticky proteins in their brains, all key markers of the disease in humans. Read More
New way to alter DNA, affect health circumvents gut bacteria
A study by Wisconsin Institute for Discovery researchers challenges long-held beliefs, with potential implications for physiological processes and diseases such as propionic acidemia, autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer’s disease. Read More
Video games teach balance, reduce symptoms in autistic adolescents
Waisman Center researchers hope to identify outcomes of balance training that will be meaningful to autistic adolescents and contribute to their quality of life. Read More
How does a spider weave its web?
Integrative Biology Professor Prashant Sharma’s lab studies spiders and their ancestors to ask questions about how their unique forms, such as spinnerets, came about. Read More
Window to access legal abortion may close before many women know they are pregnant
More than one in five women experience irregular menstrual cycles that could keep them from learning they are pregnant until it may be too late for an abortion under some current and proposed state laws, a new study shows. Read More