How Tiny Earth pushes boundaries of antibiotic research
Network of students, professors, researchers intertwine anti-racism curriculum, research to solve antibiotic resistance crisis
Stories
WID Welcomes Michelle Wildgen as 2023 Writer-In-Residence
She will host a hands-on workshop to improve academic, creative, or professional writing practices, leaving participants more productive and less stressed.
El Zoominario: giving a voice to Latinx scientists and inspiring the next generation
With the goal of highlighting Latinx scientists for other scientists as well as Latinx children, Solís-Lemus co-created El Zoominario, an online seminar series aimed at the general public.
New nanoparticles deliver therapy brain-wide, edit Alzheimer’s gene in mice
Shaoqin “Sarah” Gong and her lab have developed a way to move therapies across the brain’s protective membrane to deliver brain-wide therapy with a range of biological medications and treatments.
Yin is part of a grant to create and study a “digital twin” of the urinary tract
Yin and collaborating researchers are building the model to investigate how the nervous system and urinary tract are connected.
Drying process could be key step in the development of life
PhD student Hayley Boigenzahn and professor John Yin can explain how one of the potentially crucial early steps on the path of life could have happened. They published their findings in the Dec. 2022 issue of the journal Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres.
Where Electronics and Biology Merge: Eleboeba E. May Receives NSF SemiSynBio-III Award
May’s work will focus on developing computer models of electrical and cellular interactions to establish metrics for efficient data flow through these systems.
Jo Handelsman Named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
UW–Madison’s three new fellows–Susan Hagness, Jo Handelsman, and Justin Wilson–bring the university’s total representation to 15.
WID Graduate Student is December Graduation Student Speaker
From high school dropout to PhD: The unlikely journey of student commencement speaker and Saha Lab member Kirstan Gimse
Improved understanding of early spinal cord development paves the way for new treatments
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are developing the means to turn stem cells into a wide range of specific types of spinal cord neurons and cells in the hindbrain — the critical nexus between the spinal cord and the brain — paving the way for improved prevention and treatment of spinal cord disease.
New interactive mural invites exploration and engagement with science
A multilayered mural painted in bold colors now hangs in the atrium of the Discovery Building, depicting the many facets of STEM research and inspiring new generations to engage in science. Painted QR codes make the mural interactive, drawing the viewer into the stories of renowned and lesser known Wisconsin scientists whose contributions have shaped society.New interactive mural invites exploration and engagement with science
Tiny Earth to develop AJEDI-focused open-access Scientific Teaching Course for college instructors
Tiny Earth will collaborate with Codon Learning and the National Institute on Scientific Teaching (NIST) to develop, evaluate, and disseminate a Scientific Teaching Course (STC) that integrates AJEDI (antiracist, just, equitable, diverse, inclusive) principles. The Course is designed as four modules and will be available via Codon Learning’s interactive digital platform beginning summer 2023. Modules will also be incorporated into Tiny Earth Partner Instructor (TEPI) training in summer 2023 and 2024.
Decoding how bacteria talk with each other
UW–Madison researchers from Handelsman Lab have learned that a drastically scaled-down model of a microbial community makes it possible to observe some of the complex interactions.
CRISPR-produced CAR T cells could better treat solid tumors
Dr. Krishanu Saha along with Dr. Christian Capitini, is working to produce CAR T cells that could deliver results in solid tumors, using gene editing rather than a viral method to manufacture them.
WID Announces WID100 Research Advancement and Student Conference Travel Grant Recipients
WID Announces WID100 Research Advancement and Student Conference Travel Grant Recipients. The Research Advancement Grant for $5,000 was awarded to the John Yin Lab for their innovative research. The WID100 Student Conference Travel Grant is funding $1000 each to four outstanding graduate students to travel to scientific meetings for the academic year 2022-23.
Karen Schloss earns promotion to Associate Professor
Dr. Schloss has earned tenure in the Department of Psychology. She studies color cognition, color preferences, visual reasoning, and information visualization.
Ashton lab spinoff safeguards developing brain, spinal cord from toxic threats
Randolph Ashton, an associate professor of biomedical engineering, is co-founder of Neurosetta, a startup company built around technology for modeling human brain and spinal cord development that emerged from his research lab.
How Zombies Can Help Prevent the Next Pandemic
Incomplete viral genomes can quell disease and, with further research, could be turned into treatments. An opinion by John Yin for Scientific American.
Madison startup developing chemical health testing platform
WID’s Randolph Ashton is developing a method for “scalable and cost-effective screening” of various chemical compounds on the brain and spinal cord. The new company is Neurosetta.
How Does Life Begin?
PhD student Lena Vincent pursues the biggest question in her research on the chemical origins of life.
Achieving STEM diversity: Fix the classrooms
A perspective piece published on June 2 in Science from the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID) suggests that outdated classroom teaching methods discourage members of historically excluded communities (HECs) from graduating with a degree in science. Lead author, Jo Handelsman states “Outdated classroom teaching models are discriminatory, ultimately, we need to stop trying to fix the students and instead focus on our classrooms.”
New nanoparticles aid sepsis treatment in mice
In new research published today, UW–Madison WID researcher Shaoqin “Sarah” Gong, reported a new nanoparticle-based treatment for sepsis that delivers anti-inflammatory molecules and antibiotics.
But How Are You Really Feeling? Two Kohler Fellows challenge the way we communicate in exhibition
The How Are You Feeling? is an exhibit created by Kohler Fellows Hong Huo and Kushin Mukherjee that examines the limits of verbal communication through animated imagery. It will be on display at Communication Madison from May 28-June 3, with the opening reception on May 28th from 3-8PM (masks required).
Sushmita Roy earns H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship
The Romnes Fellowships recognize faculty with exceptional research contributions within their first six years from promotion to a tenured position.
Meet the new Writer-in-Residence: Kayla Cohen
What do mystery, mayhem, and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery have in common? The Writer-in-Residence Program, recently welcomed Kayla Cohen as a part of the Illuminating Discovery Hub at the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery. The residency is an opportunity for an up-and-coming writer to work among scientists while crafting a manuscript with scientific themes.