Ideas and Discoveries http://www.news.wisc.edu News stories from the University of Wisconsin-Madison en-us Microbe shown to regulate its host’s biological clock At a time when scientists are beginning to recognize the pervasive influence of microbes in a legion of plant and animal functions, new research shows a symbiotic bacterium setting the biological clock of its host animal. Terry Devitt trdevitt@wisc.edu 2013-04-12T13:42:00-00:00 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:42:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21671 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21671 Archaeologists on front lines of protecting ancient culture in turbulent regions J. Mark Kenoyer stands on a windswept peak in Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan, his head wrapped in a traditional scarf against the harsh sun. As he chats in a mixture of Urdu and Pashto with an Afghan archaeologist, it’s easy to see why documentarian Brent Huffman wanted the University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of anthropology to appear in his upcoming film about Mes Aynak, a 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastery. 2013-04-11T11:00:00-00:00 Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:00:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21664 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21664 Transplanted brain cells in monkeys light up personalized therapy For the first time, scientists have transplanted neural cells derived from a monkey's skin into its brain and watched the cells develop into several types of mature brain cells, according to the authors of a new study in Cell Reports. After six months, the cells looked entirely normal, and were only detectable because they initially were tagged with a fluorescent protein. David Tenenbaum djtenenb@wisc.edu 2013-03-14T16:00:00-00:00 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:00:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21595 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21595 From Washington to Obama, a look at the U.S. presidency Compared to President Barack Obama, George Washington had it rough. No executive staff, no modern dental care, and the preferred method of treatment for a throat infection (which killed the nation’s first president) was removing pints of ‘tainted’ blood from the patient. 2013-02-19T14:03:00-00:00 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:03:00 GMT http://news.ls.wisc.edu/?p=11291 http://news.ls.wisc.edu/?p=11291 Warming ‘seesaw’ turns extra sunlight into global greenhouse Earth's most recent shift to a warm climate began with intense summer sun in the Northern Hemisphere, the first pressure on a seesaw that tossed powerful forces between the planet's poles until greenhouse gases accelerated temperature change on a global scale. Chris Barncard barncard@wisc.edu 2013-02-06T19:13:00-00:00 Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:13:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21471 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21471 Four-legged patients – and their blood donors Where do life-saving blood products come from when an animal is in dire need? Terry Devitt trdevitt@wisc.edu 2013-01-29T12:04:00-00:00 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:04:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21446 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21446 Despite drought, heat and higher costs, state farm income was second highest ever Despite the challenges brought on by prolonged drought and record-breaking heat, Wisconsin farmers earned $3 billion in net farm income in 2012, the second highest amount on record. Bob Mitchell rdmitche@wisc.edu 2013-01-23T18:12:00-00:00 Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:12:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21437 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21437 Stirred, not shaken, lake mixing experiment shows promise The question is simple: can a lake be cleansed of a pernicious invader by simply raising the water temperature? Terry Devitt trdevitt@wisc.edu 2012-11-05T17:02:00-00:00 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:02:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21233 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21233 National cybersecurity effort launched to strengthen software infrastructure Scientists at the Morgridge Institute for Research, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Indiana University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have received a $23.6 million grant as part of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA 11-02) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate to address threats arising from the development process of software used in technology ranging from the national power grid to medical devices. Jennifer Sereno JSereno@warf.org 2012-11-01T14:33:00-00:00 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 14:33:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21224 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21224 UW scientists track Sandy's fury Hurricane Sandy has earned it reputation as a perfect storm, even among meteorologists. But while Louis Uccellini, environmental prediction chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said, “This is the worst-case scenario,” the storm researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison weren’t so sure. Chris Barncard barncard@wisc.edu 2012-10-30T12:54:00-00:00 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:54:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/21215 http://www.news.wisc.edu/21215