Author: jplucas

California-based Geron was once feared for its patent might. Because the company held exclusive rights to many embryonic stem cells developed at the University of Wisconsin, biotechnology rivals believed the company would establish a stem cell monopoly. In 1999 Geron purchased rights to the cloning technology used to make Dolly the sheep in Scotland, a technique given patent protection by the British government a year later.

The head of the UW research park is lobbying heavy criticism at state lawmakers today…for recent attempts he claims are scaring scientists. Mark Bugher tells WIBA news…proposals to ban cloning and certain types of stem cell research…have researchers “worried.”

Not surprisingly, a lot of folks remain unconvinced � including a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Justice Department to study the matter.

Biomedical engineer John Webster told the Associated Press that he believes many Taser-related deaths were actually caused by a combination of drug use and medical factors, but that others may have been caused by a rare condition known as malignant hyperthermia, in which bodies essentially overheat as a result of an electrical jolt. He also theorizes that other deaths may be attributable to potassium released into the bloodstream after muscle contractions caused by a Taser shock reaching the heart. He�s hoping his research will help set standards for how powerful Tasers should be and provide guidelines for emergency room doctors on how to treat those who have been hit with the weapon�s jolt.

A $500,000 federal grant given by the U.S. Department of Justice to shock-test pigs with Taser International, stun guns should be withdrawn, according to People for Ethical Treatment of Animals.

PETA called for the grant withdrawal as well as prosecution and punitive damages Wednesday against two Taser executives who reportedly conducted experiments by shocking pigs in 20

Professor Don McCready of the University of Wisconsin believes the true explanation rests in the fact that our brains tend to make objects smaller when they appear closer to us based on distance cues.

Two people working on cows at the U.W. get their care benefits retracted after ten beef cows die because of neglect.

A spokesperson from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences says the cattle were fed poor quality hay and corn silage over the winter and were left malnourished. Six cows died of complications during birth and the other four died of malnutrition.

An internal investigation by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and its College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, has confirmed that animal abuse is the reason why 10 beef cows died last winter at one of the schools research farms.

Though no scientists are now cloning embryos at UW- Madison, university officials told legislators Monday that it is important to leave the research avenue open in order to study genetic illnesses and pursue potential cures.
Chancellor John Wiley testified before a legislative committee that is considering a proposed ban on all cloning. The ban would prohibit both therapeutic cloning, or cloning to create cells for research and medical treatments, and reproductive cloning, which is cloning to create an embryo that would result in a child.

Ten cows at a UW-Madison research farm died earlier this year after starving through two cold winter months, university officials said Monday.
The beef cattle were fed a diet of poor-quality hay and corn silage in late December and January that apparently left them thin and malnourished, said Ben Miller, assistant dean at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Following the discovery of the cattle, the technician charged with caring for them has quit his post and a professor has been disciplined, he said.