Author: jplucas

While the UW Madison is already recognized around the world as a leader in stem cell research it is continuing to take steps to enhance that position and we think that’s smart.

This week, the UW announced the establishment of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, a virtual center that will support communication among the estimated 50 UW faculty working in some form on stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The results are expected to include more effective sharing of resources, training and research, as well as a coordinated focus on fund-raising, advocacy and research.

With all of the smart people over at UW-Madison, they ought to be able to throw a tarp over a pile of coal to protect our lakes.

But they didn’t — even after they were warned by the state Department of Natural Resources.

There is little overt physical evidence now that UW-Madison’s Sterling Hall was the site of a horrific act of domestic terrorism.

To date, there has been nothing to mark the fact that a young post-doctoral student in physics, Robert Fassnacht, lost his life there.

MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s chancellor said that he’s irritated that a university-operated power plant has been allowing coal runoff to pollute one of the city’s lakes.

However, John Wiley rejects calls from the Sierra Club and other environmentalists to close the 50-year-old plant and said that the university instead is exploring ways to make the coal burn cleaner.

Wiley said that he has ordered officials in charge of the Charter Street plant to better contain a coal pile that is releasing dust into the neighborhood. When it rains or snows the coal runoff enters storm sewers that drain into Monona Bay, a popular fishing and recreation spot.

A coal-fired power plant operated by UW-Madison has allowed pollution to run into storm sewers that drain into one of the city’s prized lakes, state regulators say.

The Department of Natural Resources warned in a May 8 letter that the plant is violating the Clean Water Act by allowing coal dust into storm sewers that discharge in Monona Bay, a popular fishing and recreation spot.

MADISON, Wis. — In the first of a two-part series, WISC-TV examined the rewards reaped by those who join a community garden effort and the push to go organic.

There are 17 community gardens in the Madison area, which together yield more than a quarter million pounds of fresh produce each year. Across the United States and Canada, there is an estimated 18,000 community gardens, WISC-TV reported.

“For some it’s an ethical, environmental decision. For others it’s just common sense. Some even see local food as a food security issue,” said Larry Johnson, executive director of the Dane County farmer’s market.

The largest of Madison’s community gardens rises above Lake Mendota near the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

Eagle Heights is believed to be the oldest and largest community garden in the U.S. Gardeners there come from some 50 countries, and all are part of what in a sense is a retro movement, WISC-TV reported.

Dear Editor: Melissa Tedrowe’s letter regarding the work of Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka contains serious inaccuracies. It misrepresents not only a very important line of research intended to mitigate the effects of potential future flu pandemics, but also the processes and mechanisms in place to oversee work involving serious pathogens such as influenza.

The most serious inaccuracy is the assertion that Dr. Kawaoka’s group has been conducting work on campus with live 1918 or Spanish flu virus. Dr. Kawaoka’s group has indeed reconstituted the virus, but work with the live, infectious agent has not taken place on the Madison campus. That work was conducted in Canada, in high-level biosafety facilities that do not exist in Wisconsin.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison does offer a computer science program where students can learn those skills. Courses are offered on computer animation and game technologies. Associate professor Mike Gleicher teaches them and does research on things like motion capture, WISC-TV reported.

“I think if you wanted to look at what games (we) would be doing in five years you could look to the kind of things we’re doing here,” said Gleicher.