I&D

• Green is the trend for UW design students Feb. 11, 2009 With the economy in recession and consumers looking to cut costs however they can, it may not seem like the best time to focus on fashion and design. But students in the School of Human Ecology are doing just that in a course focused on creating products and apparel that are not only sustainable, but people actually want to buy.
• Two-step chemical process turns raw biomass into biofuel Feb. 10, 2009 Taking a chemical approach, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a two-step method to convert the cellulose in raw biomass into a promising biofuel. The process, which is described in the Wednesday, Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is unprecedented in its use of untreated, inedible biomass as the starting material.
• WSUM starts a new era with move into University Square Feb. 9, 2009 After years of a pillar-to-post existence and adapting to jerry-rigged spaces that were never intended to house a radio studio, WSUM-FM 91.7 has moved into shiny, new digs designed just for them at University Square, 333 East Campus Mall.
• Mathematical models reveal how organisms transcend the sum of their genes Feb. 6, 2009 Molecular and cellular biologists have made tremendous scientific advances by dissecting apart the functions of individual genes, proteins, and pathways. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering are looking to expand that understanding by putting the pieces back together, mathematically.
• Genetic change prevents cell death in mouse model of Parkinson’s disease Feb. 2, 2009 By shifting a normal protective mechanism into overdrive, a University of Wisconsin-Madison scientist has completely shielded mice from a toxic chemical that would otherwise cause Parkinson's disease.
• Single gene lets bacteria jump from host to host Feb. 1, 2009 All life - plants, animals, people - depends on peaceful coexistence with a swarm of microbial life that performs vital services from helping to convert food to energy to protection from disease.
• Vet Medicine launches a new approach to E. coli food safety Jan. 30, 2009 Infection by Eschericia.coli O157:H7 from undercooked cattle meat proves deadly to about 60 people in the U.S. each year. While testing is available to detect the presence of the bacterium in raw meat, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison would prefer to address the problem before the meat is sent to market.
• Research uncovers surprising lion stronghold in war-torn central Africa Jan. 29, 2009 Times are tough for wildlife living at the frontier between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Armies are reportedly encamped in a national park and wildlife preserve on the Congolese side, while displaced herders and their cattle have settled in an adjoining Ugandan park.
• Piano Pioneers brings musical opportunities to Madison community Jan. 28, 2009 For the School of Music, the key to connecting with the Madison community lies within the keys of a piano.
• Study firms up idea that triceratops used horns in duels with rivals Jan. 28, 2009 Because nobody was around to witness their use, the functions of the impressive horns and frill of the familiar dinosaur triceratops have been a matter of speculation.
• Predicting the future spread of infectious-disease vectors Jan. 27, 2009 As global warming raises concerns about potential spread of infectious diseases, a team of researchers has demonstrated a way to predict the expanding range of human disease vectors in a changing world.
• Early childhood stress has lingering effects on health Jan. 26, 2009 Stressful experiences in early childhood can have long-lasting impacts on kids' health that persist well beyond the resolution of the situation.
• Enter ‘fairyland’ with Victorian crazy quilts Jan. 22, 2009 “A Fairyland of Fabrics: The Victorian Crazy Quilt” opens Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Design Gallery, located in the School of Human Ecology. The show runs through Sunday, March 8.
• New Web site promotes conversation on teaching Jan. 22, 2009 Whether they are stumped by a classroom dilemma or inspired by a breakthrough moment with students, faculty and instructional staff will now have the opportunity to spark a broader conversation about teaching practices through a new interactive Web resource.
• Artist confronts those ‘now-what’ moments Jan. 22, 2009 If Stephanie Jutt has her way, there will be no more starving artists who sacrifice well-being to make art.
• Large-scale nuclear materials study shapes national collaborations Jan. 15, 2009 In Kumar Sridharan's laboratory on the University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering campus, just one ill-timed sneeze might have catapulted his next three years' worth of nuclear reactor materials research into oblivion.
• Common soil mineral degrades the nearly indestructible prion Jan. 14, 2009 In the rogues' gallery of microscopic infectious agents, the prion is the toughest hombre in town.
• Can you see me now? Flexible photodetectors could help sharpen photos Jan. 13, 2009 Distorted cell-phone photos and big, clunky telephoto lenses could be things of the past.
• Protein that regulates hormones critical to women’s health found in pituitary Jan. 12, 2009 University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have solved the mystery surrounding a "rogue protein" that plays a role in the release of neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain.
• Study: Can nature’s leading indicators presage environmental disaster? Jan. 5, 2009 Economists use leading indicators - the drivers of economic performance - to take the temperature of the economy and predict the future. Now, in a new study, scientists take a page from the social science handbook and use leading indicators of the environment to presage the potential collapse of ecosystems.