Genetics

A new study by a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that a lack of nurturing as a child is associated with accelerated aging later in life. The research looks at changes to a person’s genome that have been linked to their environment or behaviors — what’s called epigenetics. These markers can indicate a…

As American and U.K. regulators approve the world’s first gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease, Wisconsin scientists are researching how to use the same technology to treat two eye diseases that cause blindness. Krishanu Saha leads the CRISPR Vision Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is member of National Institute of Health’s Somatic Cell…

This year marks the 40th anniversary of a landmark ruling that reaffirmed the 1837 treaty rights of a northern Wisconsin tribe to hunt, fish and gather on ceded territory. In 1983, two brothers from the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Fred and Mike Tribble, were arrested for spearfishing outside the boundaries of…

Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands dwell below a Bayfield hilltop orchard where, for a short time this summer, mature apple trees were accompanied by 100 potted poplars. The young poplars glowed bright green as they waited to be purchased. Patrons, scientists and staff at Hauser’s Superior View Farm prophesied the poplars’ future like new…

Radiation-emitting drugs, or radiopharmaceuticals, are increasingly used to target and kill cancer cells with positive results for patients. In July, during an appearance on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The Morning Show,” the 2023 crowned Miss America Grace Stanke said her father’s cancer treatment with nuclear medicine had in part inspired her to study nuclear engineering. “He…

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are part of an international team working to understand the discovery of an ancient burial site created by early human ancestors. UW-Madison anthropology professor John Hawks was part of the group that first found the bones in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa in 2013. The team,…

Researchers with the University of Wisconsin-Madison are among a group of scientists exploring how small differences could have big effects when it comes to the brains of humans and other primates. The team of researchers published a study this year in the Journal “Science” in partnership with a Yale University lab. The scientists focused on…

Plants already pull significant weight in removing carbon dioxide from the air, but a new study out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows there’s potential for plants to capture more. The study, which was published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, also shows the potential to increase the amount of aromatic compounds — or the…

A clinic for people living with sickle cell disease opened recently at a UW Health clinic in Madison as a hub to coordinate care for patients who often need several lines of treatment to control the condition. Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disease that causes intense pain and life-threatening complications. That’s because red blood…

Some of us do it a lot and others not so much. Some only do it on one leg or arm and many can’t do it without starting to smell. It’s most noticeable when we’re hot, but we still do it all day long. What is it? Well, sweating, of course — the evolutionary hack…