UW Bioscience News
Virus mimics human protein to hijack cell division machinery
Viruses are masters of deception, duping their host's cells into helping them grow and spread. A new study has found that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can mimic a common regulatory protein to hijack normal cell growth machinery, disrupting a cell's primary anti-cancer mechanism.
May 8, 2008
Invitrogen, WARF sign license agreement for human embryonic stem cells
Invitrogen Corp. and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation announced today (May 8) that they have signed a license for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) patents for the development of research tools.
May 8, 2008
Web tool puts wildlife diseases on the map
A new online map makes it possible, for the first time, to track news of disease outbreaks around the world that threaten the health of wildlife, domestic animals, and people.
May 7, 2008
Biocore program turns 40
An innovative undergraduate biology program on campus is celebrating its 40th birthday.
May 7, 2008
Bioethics forum to be an evolutionary affair
The 2008 International Bioethics Forum, to be held April 17-18 at Promega Corporation's BioPharmaceutical Technology Center (BTC) in Fitchburg, will delve into the science and controversies of evolution in the 21st Century.
April 11, 2008
WAGE awards three research collaborative grants related to globalization
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE) announces the three winners of its research collaborative competition, each receiving $100,000 during a three-year period.
April 10, 2008
Negligent, attentive mouse mothers show biological differences
In mice, child neglect is a product of both nature and nurture, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison describe a strain of mice that exhibit unusually high rates of maternal neglect, with approximately one out of every five females failing to care for her offspring.
April 9, 2008
Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation chair to speak at Stem Cell Summit
Peter D. Kiernan, III, chair of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, will provide the keynote address at the World Stem Cell Summit Sept. 22-23, 2008, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
April 2, 2008
Stem cell summit to convene in Madison
Researchers, business representatives, philanthropists, bioethicists and educators from around the world will be invited to Madison for the World Stem Cell Summit at the Alliant Energy Center on Sept. 22-23, 2008.
March 12, 2008
Earlier plantings underlie yield gains in northern corn belt
U.S. farmers plant corn much earlier today than ever before and it seems to be paying off, at least in the north. Earlier plantings could account for up to half of the yield gains seen in some parts of the northern Corn Belt since the late 1970s, a new study has found.
Feb. 27, 2008
Hot subjects—BSE 375: ‘Biorefining: Energy and Products from Renewable Resources’
Solving the energy crisis has been the topic of conversation for consumers, researchers and politicians alike, particularly since the price of oil reached $100 a barrel earlier this month.
Feb. 4, 2008
Unique whey protein is promising supplement for strict PKU diet
Individuals with a rare genetic condition known as phenylketonuria, or PKU, receive a difficult-to-follow prescription. They must severely limit their consumption of protein, completely avoiding mealtime staples such as meat, cheese and even bread. Not surprisingly, for many, diet is a constant struggle.
Feb. 1, 2008
T cell immunity enhanced by timing of interleukin-7 therapy
That the cell nurturing growth factor interleukin-7 can help ramp up the ability of the immune system to remember the pathogenic villains it encounters is well known.
Feb. 1, 2008
Talk commemorates 75th anniversary of Warfarin saga
Seventy-five years ago this February, a Wisconsin dairy farmer brought some sweet clover hay to University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemist Karl Paul Link. The farmer suspected the clover had killed his cattle, which died from uncontrollable bleeding. From one farmer's misfortune, much good has come.
Jan. 25, 2008
Bioethicist Fost debates use of steroids in sports
Norman Fost, professor in the departments of pediatrics and medical history and bioethics, and director of the Program in Bioethics, particpiated recently in an Intelligence Squared U.S. debate as an advocate for the motion “Should We Accept Steroid Use in Sports?”
Jan. 23, 2008
School of Pharmacy ready to celebrate 125 years
What began as an inspiration of several forward-thinking pharmacists throughout the state is now, 125 years later, a national leader in advancing both the practice and science of pharmacy.
Jan. 22, 2008
In diatom, scientists find genes that may level engineering hurdle
Denizens of oceans, lakes and even wet soil, diatoms are unicellular algae that encase themselves in intricately patterned, glass-like shells. Curiously, these tiny phytoplankton could be harboring the next big breakthrough in computer chips.
Jan. 21, 2008
Ebola virus disarmed by excising a single gene
The deadly Ebola virus, an emerging public health concern in Africa and a potential biological weapon, ranks among the most feared of exotic pathogens.
Jan. 21, 2008
Work begins on future site of Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
A major change will begin to take shape on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus this month as construction begins at the future site of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.
Jan. 15, 2008
Kids in the lab: Getting high-schoolers hooked on science
More than 10,000 students statewide have participated in the Youth Apprenticeship Program, an innovative project that gives exceptional high-school students an opportunity to get exposure and experience in their desired careers.
Jan. 9, 2008
Persistence, genius mix for chemist
Chemistry professor Laura Kiessling is featured in the Milwuakee Journal Sentinel’s series on “groundbreaking thinkers in Wisconsin” series.
Jan. 2, 2008
Undergrad team debuts in genetic engineering competition
For the first time, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison undergraduates participated in the annual International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM), held this fall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dec. 21, 2007
Engineer James Dumesic named to ‘Scientific American 50’
James Dumesic, Chemical and Biological Engineering Steenbock Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has received a 2007 Scientific American "SciAm 50" award for his innovative alternative fuels research.
Dec. 17, 2007
Genome study places modern humans in the evolutionary fast lane
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.
Dec. 10, 2007
Waterborne carbon increases threat of environmental mercury
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.
Dec. 10, 2007
Arsenic contamination lacks one-size-fits-all remedy
Though a worldwide problem, arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution, recent work by UW-Madison researchers has shown.
Dec. 10, 2007
Waistline growth on high-carb diets linked to liver gene
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.
Dec. 4, 2007
Reprogramming the debate: stem-cell finding alters ethical controversy
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.
Nov. 20, 2007
UW-Madison scientists guide human skin cells to embryonic state
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.
Nov. 20, 2007
Bridging the divide between math and biology
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.
Nov. 14, 2007