Yingshan Deng

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Cheaper, more sustainable way to produce plastic precursors

Scientists and engineers at UW-Madison developed an economically feasible process to synthesize a possible substitute for petroleum-derived chemicals from non-edible biomass. This substitute, called 1,5-pentanediol, is a type of alpha, omega-diol that has two alcohol groups attached at the beginning and the end of a long carbon chain, which is mostly synthesized as a byproduct of other commercially produced diols. The research was published this April in the journal, ChemSusChem. “We hope to be able to make larger quantities and volumes and be able to put it in the applications that are currently used for other molecules,” said Zachary Brentzel, a graduate research assistant in college of engineering at UW-Madison and the first author of this paper.

Listeria poses risks in early pregnancy

Researchers at the UW-Madison recently found that listeriosis, the infection caused by the foodborne bacteria called Listeria, damages the placenta and results in miscarriages during the early stages of pregnancy in non-human primates.

Two nurse-scientists honored

Two UW-Madison School of Nursing faculty members earned awards from the Midwest Nursing Research Society for their research on gerontological nursing.

Two nurse-scientists honored

Two UW-Madison School of Nursing faculty members earned awards from the Midwest Nursing Research Society for their research on gerontological nursing. MNRS is a premiere society that supports and promotes scholars’ research on health care and presents annual awards to researchers in the Midwest region who made significant contributions to the field of nursing.

Listeria poses risks in early pregnancy

Researchers at the UW-Madison recently found that listeriosis, the infection caused by the foodborne bacteria called Listeria, damages the placenta and results in miscarriages during the early stages of pregnancy in non-human primates. Listeria monocytogenes is a common human pathogen that infects humans after the consumption of contaminated foods like raw milk, cheese, deli meats or produce.

Two UW nurse-scientists honored

Two UW-Madison School of Nursing faculty members earned awards from the Midwest Nursing Research Society for their research on gerontological nursing. MNRS is a premiere society that supports and promotes scholars’ research on health care and presents annual awards to researchers in the Midwest region who made significant contributions to the field of nursing. Barbara J.

Using T Cells to fight cancer

Treating cancer is complex as each tumor differs greatly from another. This is due to their genetic makeups.

Precision therapies advance at UW

By mimicking natural molecular pathways in the human body, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed molecular tools that could regulate gene expression. Natural transcription factors bind to genetic sequences and trigger the expression of different genes, which later produce different proteins.

Study finds half the population motion blind

About 50 percent of the population are motion blind, meaning that their brains can’t interpret the motion of objects even if their eyes see clearly. Dr. Bas Rokers, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studies recognition impairment, or agnosia, and treatment techniques. Rokers recently found that this phenomena is more common than previously believed.

UW professor leads petition to save venus flytraps

Ecologists at University of Wisconsin-Madison led a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Oct 21, demanding Venus flytrap be recorded as an endangered species in accordance with the Endangered Species Act.

Kevin Barnett works in a lab at the department of energy bioenergy technologies office at UW-Madison to better the procedure for deriving 1,5-pentanediol, a possible substitute for a petroleum-like chemical.

Graduate students of Dr. Ansari's lab design synthetic transcription factors.

Dr. Donald Waller started the petition to list the Venus flytrap as an endangered species. According to Waller, the Venus flytrap's population has decreased by 95 percent.