Category Science & Technology
Valuable potato specimens transferred to Wisconsin State Herbarium
A large collection of potato specimens have been transferred from the U.S. Potato Genebank in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, to the Wisconsin State Herbarium at UW–Madison, which has 1.3 million specimens.
Images of strange solar system visitor peel away some of the mystery
A strange visitor, either asteroid or comet, zipping through our solar system at a high rate of speed is giving astronomers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to examine up close an object from somewhere else in our galaxy.
Unique driverless vehicle on display Nov. 15-18 in Madison
At an event Nov. 17 and 18 on the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering campus, visitors will have the opportunity to check out an autonomous car.
New Arboretum director continues legacy of restoration, teaching
As fall slowly hardens to winter in Madison, part of Karen Oberhauser’s new job is to walk the trails of the UW–Madison Arboretum, getting a sense not just for the geography, but for the land itself. That’s because the land Oberhauser walks is now under her care.
UW entrepreneurial pipeline lands Lactic Solutions in biofuels marketplace
When Jim Steele thinks back over the last seven years, from the early research on biofuels, followed by a dream of moving Lactic Solutions technology to the marketplace, he is thankful for the network of UW–Madison entrepreneurial experts.
Molecular magnetism packs power with “messenger electron”
A UW–Madison lab has made a molecule that gains magnetic strength through an unusual way of controlling those spins, which could lead to a breakthrough in quantam computing.
BuckySubmit helps with public access compliance at UW–Madison
A new submission service called BuckySubmit helps researchers follow federal regulations requiring public access to their manuscripts.
New theory could open potent new applications for light
You’re in a large building, driving in a remote area, or even right in the middle of a big city, and you can’t stream video, check email or even make a phone call — because your cellular signal is weak. But the future may be different.
Breeding highly productive corn has reduced its ability to adapt
Researchers studied corn planted across North America to find out whether selecting for corn that is acclimated to particular locations has changed its ability to adapt to new or stressful environments.
UW scientists create a recipe to make human blood-brain barrier
The researchers have developed a process to turn multipurpose stem cells into the cells that make the anatomical feature that protects our brain from toxins and other threats that may be in circulating blood.
New model reveals possibility of pumping antibiotics into bacteria
UW-Madison researchers have discovered that a cellular pump known to move drugs like antibiotics out of E. coli bacteria has the potential to bring them in as well, opening new lines of research into combating the bacteria.
Dan Ludois, inventor of new electrostatic motor, named Moore Inventor Fellow
UW-Madison Professor Dan Ludois is a Moore Inventor Fellow and one step closer to bringing a potentially transformative invention into the world.
Catching the Bug
The Big Ten Network program Forward Motion goes behind the bark with entomology Professor Chris Williamson to find out what you can do about the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect is threatening 700 million trees in Wisconsin. Are yours among them?
Cool idea: Magma held in ‘cold storage’ before giant volcano eruption
It’s not just morbid curiosity that attracts geoscientists to places like Long Valley, California. It’s a desire to understand where and when super-eruptions are likely to occur again.
3-D imaging of collagen may become vital tool for precision cancer treatment
Researcher Paul Campagnola has taken a crucial step toward creating 3-D images of collagen — the most abundant protein in humans, found in all of our bones, tendons and connective tissues — on a molecular scale.
Scientists explore national security implications of gene editing
Experts from the United States and across Europe, China and India, including UW and Morgridge Institute researchers, shared ideas for harmonizing genome editing policies across borders.
All hands on deck to understand, predict, prevent abrupt ecological change
“It’s a generally thorny problem and we are often scrambling to react,” says lead principal investigator Monica Turner. “In fact, understanding abrupt change in ecological systems is among the biggest challenges in contemporary ecology.”
Communication and policy the focus of two science festival events
Two mini-symposia held during the Wisconsin Science Festival will teach early career scientists and nonscientists alike the value of sharing research broadly and how science interacts with and influences governmental policies.
A little myelin goes a long way to restore nervous system function
New research shows that in long-lived animals, renewed but thin myelin sheaths are enough to restore impaired nervous systems and can do so for years after the onset of disease.
New course brings storytelling techniques to science
A new course teaches early-career scientists how to communicate their work outside of the lab, and is designed to turn real research into engaging stories, visuals and presentations.