Tag Biosciences
Study reveals interplay of an African bat, a parasite and a virus
The role of bat parasites in maintaining chains of viral infection is little studied, and the new study serves up some intriguing insights into how viruses co-opt parasites to help do the dirty work of disease transmission.
Stem cell advance brings bioengineered arteries closer to reality
New techniques have produced, for the first time, functional arterial cells at both the quality and scale to be relevant for disease modeling and clinical application.
Plants under attack can turn hungry caterpillars into cannibals
A researcher found a tomato plant can make itself taste so horrible that a caterpillar, which would typically munch on its leaves, might eat another caterpillar instead.
Peanut family secret for making chemical building blocks revealed
As you bite into your next peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chew on this: The peanut you’re eating has a secret.
D-Day invasion was bolstered by UW–Madison penicillin project
By discovering new strains, isolating more productive mutants, and improving growing methods, UW biologists helped supply Allied troops with enough penicillin to treat life-threatening infections.
Stem cells yield nature’s blueprint for body’s vasculature
A team led by Igor Slukvin, a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor, describes the developmental pathway that gives rise to the different types of cells that make up human vasculature.
Zika infections could be factor in more pregnancies
“It’s sobering," says researcher Ted Golos. "If microcephaly is the tip of the iceberg for babies infected in pregnancy, the rest of the iceberg may be bigger than we’ve imagined.”
UW-Madison biochemist wins Shaw Scientist Award
Ophelia Venturelli's research may lead to the ability to engineer behaviors among beneficial microbes in the gut ecosystem, which could be used to enhance their resilience to invasion by pathogens or unintended impairment from antibiotics.
As continents continue moving, study suggests effects on biodiversity
UW geoscientists have found that marine species tend to become more numerous when the continents divide, and to stabilize — maybe even decline — when continents congeal.
Bacterial supermachine reveals streamlined protein assembly line
Biochemists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany have revealed the defined architecture of what is called the “expressome.”
When it comes to biological populations, expect the unexpected
More than three decades of data on the physical, chemical and biological variables in 11 Midwestern lakes show that while lake temperatures and nutrient concentrations rise within relatively expected ranges, biological organisms achieve high population extremes.
Enzyme structures illuminate mechanism behind bacteria’s bioremediation prowess
The work is important because it provides a glimpse of the mechanics of a process that could be harnessed to help clean up oil spills and create valuable new chemicals.
Listeria may be serious miscarriage threat early in pregnancy
Listeria makes about 1,600 Americans sick each year — a relatively small number, but a group heavy on newborn babies and older adults with undeveloped or weak immune systems.
From mice, clues to microbiome’s influence on metabolic disease
The microorganisms that reside in the gut work in tandem with the genes of a host organism to regulate insulin secretion, a key variable in the onset of diabetes.
UW helps schools update approach to science education
Each year, Biocore sends as many as 50 other science outreach ambassadors to Wisconsin schools to teach the students about science, often using Wisconsin Fast Plants.
UW-Madison launches Microbiome Initiative
Recent studies have shown that the complement of microorganisms known as the microbiome is an important determinant of human health and disease.
Gut’s microbial community shown to influence host gene expression
The upshot of the study is another indictment of the so-called Western diet, high in saturated fats, sugar and red meat.
UW botanist leads petition to give Venus flytrap endangered species protection
The plant faces multiple threats: habitat loss, diminished genetic diversity, predators and outbreaks of disease.
Yeast knockouts peel back secrets of cell protein function
The study provided a level of detail not available even five years ago. Improved technology cut the time to analyze all the proteins in a yeast sample from four hours to one hour.
UW-Madison technology enlisted in battle against hepatitis B
A method that emerged from a UW–Madison spinoff company is in clinical trials in Europe, Asia and the United States against the infection, which can destroy the liver.