A Sampling of Biotechnology Expertise on Campus

Here are some leading figures in University of Wisconsin-Madison bioscience research:

Paul Ahlquist , professor of plant pathology and molecular virology
(608) 263-5916; ahlquist@facstaff.wisc.edu

Ahlquist studies how viruses invade cells to replicate and express their own genes. The research aims to create a greater understanding of how viruses attack, and has implications in biotechnology since viruses can be used to introduce genetic material in cells. Ahlquist is one of three investigators of the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Richard Amasino, professor of biochemistry
(608)262-4074; amasino@biochem.wisc.edu

Amasino's studies of plant genetics has led to a better understanding of how plants regulate flowering time and senescence, the process of aging in plants. His work has far-reaching implications in agriculture, and could lead to crops with greater tolerance to frost and less spoilage. He also leads a program to develop "knockout genes" for the model plant Arabadopsis thaliana, an effort that will help determine the functions of more than 30,000 genes.

Fred Blattner, professor of genetics
(608)262-2534; fred@genetics.wisc.edu

Blattner is director of UW-Madison's new Genome Center of Wisconsin, a concentration of faculty who are developing tools to sequence the complete blueprints of life forms and determine the functions of individual genes. Blattner achieved a milestone in the field in 1997 by sequencing the complete genome of E. coli, at the time the most complex organism ever sequenced.

Richard Burgess, professor of oncology
(608) 263-2635; burgess@oncology.wisc.edu

Burgess studies RNA synthesis and the mechanisms by which genes express themselves in cells, which are fundamental questions in molecular biology. He was the founding director of the Biotechnology Center in 1984.

Sean Carroll, professor of molecular biology
(608)262-6191; sbcarroll@facstaff.wisc.edu

Carroll has made a remarkable string of discoveries related to some of the most intriguing mysteries of development, such as limb formation and butterfly-wing diversity. His discoveries have led to a rethinking of evolutionary history. Carroll holds scores of biotechnology patents and is a founder of the Madison firm Ophidian Pharmaceuticals. He is a fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and in 1994 was named one of Time Magazine's 40 most promising leaders under age 40.

Franco Cerrina professor of computer and electrical engineering, director of the Center for X-Ray Lithography.
(608) 263-4955; cerrina@nanatech.wisc.edu

Cerrina is an international leader in the development of x-ray lithography, a leading-edge approach to stenciling integrated circuits for the computer industry. He is co-developer of a revolutionary "gene chip" technology that greatly simplifies a scientist's ability to analyze DNA. That discovery in 1999 lead to the spinoff company Nimblegen.

Alta Charo, professor of law and history of medicine
(608)262-5015; racharo@facstaff.wisc.edu

Charo is a leading scholar of bioethics and public policy on biotechnology. She has brought a unique interdisciplinary background to controversial topics such as cloning, reproductive technologies, research on human beings, and embryo research. She is currently serving by appointment of President Clinton on the President's National Bioethics Advisory Commission.

James Dahlberg, professor of biomolecular chemistry
(608)262-1459; dahlberg@facstaff.wisc.edu

Dahlberg is a pioneer in a number of molecular studies involving the health of cells. His work has shown how molecules are transported in and out of nuclei, and how cells follow genetic instructions. The work is influential in understanding how cells develop and protect themselves from disease. He is a co-founder of Madison's Third Wave Technologies.

Norman Fost, professor of pediatrics
(608)263-8562; normfost@macc.wisc.edu

Fost is the founder of UW-Madison's program in medical ethics, and has garnered national recognition for his leadership in the field. He has served for years as the chair of the UW Hospital and Clinic's ethics and human subjects committees. His opinions are sought nationally on subjects such as health care access, testing for genetic diseases, cloning and patient's rights.

Laura Kiessling, professor of chemistry and biochemistry
(608)262-0541; kiessling@chem.wisc.edu

Kiessling,a native of Lake Mills, Wis., has pioneered studies into the causes of inflammation, the body's response to injury or infection that causes pain and swelling. Her work may lead to new treatments for inflammation in its most serious forms, such as arthritis. She is a 1999 winner of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant."

Judith Kimble, professor of biochemistry
(608)262-6188; jekimble@facstaff.wisc.edu

Kimble's work focuses on the molecular basis of embryonic development and sex determination. She recently authored an influential study that elucidated how organ shape is directed and controlled. She is the recipient of a prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator Award.

Ann Palmenberg, professor of biochemistry
(608)262-7519; acpalmen@facstaff.wisc.edu

Palmenberg is doing influential studies of the genetic structure, function and evolution of viruses that are human health threats. She has identified proteins within viruses that can be attacked with vaccines, and has developed powerful computer tools to decode genetic information in viruses.

Tomas Prolla, professor of genetics
(608)265-5204; taprolla@facstaff.wisc.edu

Prolla studies how cancers can develop from various genetic defects in DNA repair pathways. His work may shed light on the molecular pathways that cause cancers to grow. He has also published a landmark 1999 study, along with colleague Rich Weindruch, identifying a related group of genes that play a major role in the aging process.

Robert Radwin, chair of a new UW-Madison program in biomedical engineering (608) 263-6596; radwin@ie.engr.wisc.edu

Radwin is a national expert on ergonomics and repetitive motion disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, and has developed new technologies to diagnose the condition. He led the creation of the biomedical engineering program, which harnesses engineering talent to solve problems in medical technology.

Ron Raines, professor of biochemistry
(608)262-8588; raines@biochem.wisc.edu

Raines studies the molecular makeup of proteins in the body. In particular, his research on the stability of collagen -- a protein which gives the body its structure and shape -- could lead to novel therapies for collagen-related disorders such as arthritis. He has also studied how a common protein first discovered in frogs can act as a potent killer of cancer cells.

David Schwartz, a professor of chemistry and genetics
(608)265-0546; dcschwartz@facstaff.wisc.edu

Schwartz, who came to UW-Madison in 1999 from New York University, is a national leader in the development of better, faster ways to decipher genetic information in plants and animals. His optical mapping technology create whole genome maps in a fraction of the time of comparable technologies. His technology is in use in mapping the human genome, the rice genome, and was recently used in completing the genome for malaria.

Lloyd Smith, professor of chemistry
(608)263-2594; smith@chem.wisc.edu

Smith is a world leader in the design and development of technologies used in the race to sequence the genetic material of plants and animals. He has recently made big advances in demonstrating the potential of DNA-based computing. He is also a co-founder of Third Wave Technologies, one of Wisconsin's most successful biotech companies.

Michael Sussman, director of the UW-Madison Biotechnology Center
(608)262-8608; msussman@facstaff.wisc.edu

Sussman leads a center at the heart of the biosciences on campus, with active programs in public education and service to Wisconsin's thriving biotechnology industry. The center is meant to be a core service facility for biology faculty campus-wide, and a guidepost for the economic and ethical challenges in the field.

Tom Zinnen, leader of the BioTrek outreach program at the Biotechnology Center
(608) 265-2420; zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu

Zinnen provides hands-on biotechnology workshops on campus or across Wisconsin for teachers and for learners of all ages. A former Congressional Science Fellow, he also provides information and analysis of policy issues in agricultural biotechnology. For more information see http://www.biotech.wisc.edu/Education and http://www.biotech.wisc.edu/seebiotech/

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