Stories indexed under: Biosciences

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  • Photo of glass of water Arsenic contamination lacks one-size-fits-all remedy Dec. 10, 2007 Though a worldwide problem, arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution, recent work by UW-Madison researchers has shown.
  • Waterborne carbon increases threat of environmental mercury Dec. 10, 2007 Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and a worrisome environmental contaminant, but the severity of its threat appears to depend on what else is in the water, researchers at UW-Madison have found.
  • Photo of skull Genome study places modern humans in the evolutionary fast lane Dec. 10, 2007 Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study by UW-Madison researchers examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change.
  • Photo of food label Waistline growth on high-carb diets linked to liver gene Dec. 4, 2007 Experts have been warning for years that foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other processed carbohydrates are making us fatter. Now, a University of Wisconsin-Madison study has uncovered the genetic basis for why this is so.
  • Stem cell image UW-Madison scientists guide human skin cells to embryonic state Nov. 20, 2007 In a paper to be published Nov. 22 in the online edition of the journal Science, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers reports the genetic reprogramming of human skin cells to create cells indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells.
  • Reprogramming the debate: stem-cell finding alters ethical controversy Nov. 20, 2007 When University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers succeeded in reprogramming skin cells to behave like embryonic stem cells, they also began to redefine the political and ethical dynamics of the stem-cell debate, a leading bioethicist says.
  • Photo of Julie Mitchell Bridging the divide between math and biology Nov. 14, 2007 As a mathematician who has navigated the field of biology for nearly a decade, mathematics professor Julie Mitchell has some sage advice for those who choose to follow. Never hesitate to ask a “dumb” question. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. Meanwhile, show some bravado.
  • Tool-wielding chimps provide a glimpse of early human behavior Nov. 12, 2007 Chimpanzees inhabiting a harsh savanna environment and using bark and stick tools to exploit an underground food resource are giving scientists new insights to the behaviors of the earliest hominids who, millions of years ago, left the African forests to range the same kinds of environments and possibly utilize the same foods.
  • Two young researchers win White House science award Nov. 1, 2007 Two of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's most promising young faculty members have received the highest national honor bestowed upon scientists in the early stages of their careers. The Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) recognize top junior researchers who have demonstrated exceptional potential and leadership at the frontiers of science.
  • Open house showcases new science building Oct. 25, 2007 Since it opened at the beginning of the school year, the Microbial Sciences Building has been drawing rave reviews from students and researchers who work and study in the new facility.
  • Researchers examine world’s potential to produce biodiesel Oct. 24, 2007 What do the countries of Thailand, Uruguay and Ghana have in common? They all could become leading producers of the emerging renewable fuel known as biodiesel, says a study from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
  • DNA sequencing Researchers underscore limitations of genetic ancestry tests Oct. 19, 2007 Although many people rely on commercially available genetic tests for insights into their ancestry, consumers should be aware of significant limitations in such testing, according to a group of researchers commenting in today's issue of the journal Science.
  • A gene divided reveals details of natural selection Oct. 10, 2007 In a molecular tour de force, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have provided an exquisitely detailed picture of natural selection as it occurs at the genetic level.
  • Health icon Primate study shows excess vitamin A can be stored during fetal development Oct. 8, 2007 A new University of Wisconsin-Madison study suggests that pregnant women who take some types of vitamin supplements or eat fortified foods may be passing excess vitamin A to their developing fetuses. Reported in the October issue of the Journal of Comparative Medicine, the finding could guide efforts to develop future formulations of vitamins.
  • Smithies’ work at UW-Madison underpinned Nobel Prize in Medicine Oct. 8, 2007 The gene targeting work for which North Carolina biologist Oliver Smithies was recognized for the 2007 Nobel Prize in Medicine has a distinct Wisconsin flavor.
  • Lab vials Researchers identify key step bird flu virus takes to spread readily in humans Oct. 5, 2007 Since it first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, the H5N1 avian flu virus has been slowly evolving into a pathogen better equipped to infect humans. The final form of the virus, biomedical researchers fear, will be a highly pathogenic strain of influenza that spreads easily among humans.
  • Bioenergy research center gets early boost from U.S. Department of Energy Sept. 28, 2007 The University of Wisconsin-Madison Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) has received $6.67 million in start-up funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that will allow researchers to get to work on promising new sources of energy that may someday power our cars, homes, and businesses.
  • ‘Jumping genes’ could make for safer gene delivery system Sept. 26, 2007 A new nonviral gene delivery system using transposons, or “jumping genes,” provides a safer alternative to previous options, according to a publication by a UW-Madison molecular biologist and biological safety expert.
  • Town hall meetings to introduce building plans for Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Sept. 26, 2007 On October 1, 8 and 10, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) are hosting a series of town hall meetings to inform the UW-Madison community about the latest building plans for the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.
  • Photo of frog Study: Nutrient pollution drives frog deformities Sept. 25, 2007 High levels of nutrients used in farming and ranching activities fuel parasite infections that have caused highly publicized frog deformities in ponds and lakes across North America, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder.