In support of a microbial connection between fiber and heart health, UW-Madison researchers have identified a particular fatty acid as the mechanism behind certain protective effects of a high-fiber diet in a mouse model.
UW News
Woodland hawks flock to urban buffet
A team of Wisconsin researchers documents that woodland hawks — once in precipitous decline — have become firmly established in urban environments, thriving primarily on a diet of backyard birds.
Study shows movement, evolutionary history of TB in China
A genetic scan of a massive number of samples taken from tuberculosis patients across China has shown a surprising genetic uniformity: just two “strains” of the tuberculosis bacterium account for 99.4 percent of all cases.
Engineers drawn to stem cells’ abundance, humanity
“We very quickly became perhaps the top institution in the country in the stem cell engineering area,” says a leading UW researcher. “That was a field that didn’t exist, and we built it.”
Successful mouse couples talk out infidelity in calm tones
The quality of their conversations between pairs of California mice after one partner has been unfaithful can help predict which mouse pairs will successfully produce a litter of mouse pups and which males are good fathers, according to a new UW-Madison study.
PETA bus ads target animal research
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers study animals, including monkeys like the one depicted in an advertisement on a Madison bus, to learn about human disease and to explore basic biological processes. Alternatives to animals are always considered before research begins, and whenever possible methods without animals are used. However, animals remain the only way to study many vital aspects of human and animal health. UW–Madison scientists rely on animal studies to design new treatments and advance our knowledge of AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dangerous infections like influenza, many types of cancer and more. All animal research on campus includes the attention of skilled veterinarians. All animal research is closely reviewed and regulated by our animal care and use committee and several federal agencies. Everyone benefits from what scientists have learned from these studies. Where there is a better way, UW–Madison researchers use it. To exclude animals from research would leave us without …
Nanoparticles improve tumor treatment in mice
In mouse models of human lung cancer, the improved drug inhibited tumor growth more effectively than the standard drug. “Ultimately, our goal is to get this into human beings,” says pharmacy professor Glen Kwon.
Researchers trace Parkinson’s damage in the heart
Heart attacks, diabetes and other disorders cause similar damage to nerves in the heart. Those patients and potential therapies could also benefit from the new visualization method, says Parkinson’s disease researcher Marina Emborg.
Scientists take a journey into the lungs of mice infected with influenza
Using a new tool they call FluVision, UW-Madison researchers can witness an influenza infection in a living animal in action, helping them better understand what happens when a virus infects the lungs and the body responds.
Cancer vaccine trial will enroll dogs at UW–Madison
UW–Madison is one of three universities enrolling hundreds of pet dogs in a trial of a single vaccine intended to prevent all types of cancer — a leading cause of death in dogs.