Known as Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP) processing, the experimental technology is being developed by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
STRAP tech could make multilayer plastics recyclable
New Atlas
Category: Research
COVID-19 antibody treatment with ties to UW Health gets FDA green light
NBC-15
UW Health is a part of the clinical trial for the drug. UW Health’s principal investigator for the Regeneron trial, Dr. William Hartman, said this authorization is a big step.
WARF to compensate former research partner after concealing information
Daily Cardinal
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) will pay a minimum of $32 million to a former research partner after it concealed information related to a patent for a kidney dialysis drug.
WCER director helps conduct research on teaching across globe
Daily Cardinal
The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) — a video study in part conducted by a WCER director, looking into the practices and presentation of mathematics education approaches — has been recently acknowledged for its originality by the Paris branch of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Potent new antifungal discovered in the microbiome of marine animals
New Scientist
Fungal infections affect hundreds of millions of people globally each year. “They’re particularly a problem for people whose immune system is suppressed,” says David Andes at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This includes people being treated for cancer, organ transplant recipients and premature babies.
Potent new antifungal discovered in the microbiome of marine animals
New Scientist
A new antifungal compound that is effective against even multidrug-resistant fungi has been found in the microbiome of a marine animal.Fungal infections affect hundreds of millions of people globally each year. “They’re particularly a problem for people whose immune system is suppressed,” says David Andes at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This includes people being treated for cancer, organ transplant recipients and premature babies.
Research study focuses on development of Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome
Badger Herald
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin are taking part in a new study funded by the National Institute of Health examining the development of Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome.
Alzheimer’s Research Looks at Hot Spots Across the U.S.
Wall Street Journal
In another of the studies released earlier this year, researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found that, based on autopsies, people who lived in the poorest neighborhoods at the time of their death were about twice as likely to have brain changes typical of Alzheimer’s disease as people who lived in the wealthiest neighborhoods. Researchers used the Neighborhood Atlas, a map developed by the University of Wisconsin that charts neighborhoods by socioeconomic status.
“We are in the baby steps of trying to understand what is driving this,” says Ryan Powell, a scientist who helped lead the study.
UW patent arm ordered to pay WashinGton University $32 million in damages for violation of patent agreement
Badger Herald
Ruling found WARF ’systematically diluted the relative value’ of patent.
UW study validates MGE climate goals, but activists want plan for carbon reduction
Wisconsin State Journal
Anew analysis by UW-Madison researchers finds Madison Gas and Electric’s goal of eliminating carbon emissions by mid century is in line with what will be needed to avoid the worst impact of climate change, but environmental activists want to see a plan for how the utility will hit its target.
Researchers Produce First Artificial Icequakes
Eos
“If we’d had a little seismometer on there, we probably would have seen the same types of things you see on seismometers placed on a real glacier,” said Luke Zoet, a glaciologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and lead author of the new research. The results were published in AGU’s journal Geophysical Research Letters.
UW-Madison’s patent-licensing arm must pay at least $32 million to ex-research partner
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison’s patent-licensing arm “actively concealed” information from a former research partner and must pay back at least $32 million in patent royalties, a panel of federal appeals court judges ruled late last month.
‘We’re going to be in trouble’: Wisconsin critically short on plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Early results from a clinical trial at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in July showed the plasma helped 94% of patients who were considered severely ill avoid having to go to intensive care or being placed on mechanical ventilation.
‘Unprecedented’ pace of COVID-19 drug development pushing Madison companies to expand
Wisconsin State Journal
FluGen, which has been working with research from UW-Madison for years on developing a universal flu vaccine — one that wouldn’t have to be updated each year, as the flu shot is now — is incorporating a coronavirus vaccine into its plans, though president and CEO Paul Radspinner said there is no timeline for getting the vaccine to human studies as of yet.
UW engineers create device to make masks more effective
WKOW-TV 27
A team of UW-Madison engineers is back with another innovation to keep people safe during the pandemic. This fall, they designed the Badger Seal to be worn over a mask.
“Performs like an N95”: Madison engineers design mask fitter
NBC-15
The “Badger Seal” prevents gaps on the sides, top & bottom of a face mask.
Rewiring the metabolism of pancreatic cells may keep diabetes in check
New Atlas
Through a newfound understanding of the way insulin secretion is triggered in pancreatic cells, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have uncovered an exciting new pathway for the development of treatments for type 2 diabetes. Not only does the discovery shine a light on how the cells work to keep blood sugar in check, the team was able to demonstrate how the mechanism could be targeted with a certain enzyme to hold it at healthy levels.
Charles Darwin’s hunch about early life was probably right
BBC Future
One researcher whose work is compatible with a pond environment is Lena Vincent of the University of Wisconsin-Madison – although she prefers to keep an open mind. She is trying to create sets of chemicals that copy themselves as a group. The simplest example would be a pair of chemicals A and B, where each has the ability to make the other, so A makes B and B makes A. Such a pair of chemicals would be able to self-replicate, even though neither could do so alone. In practice the sets of chemicals are more complicated than that, but the principle is the same.
‘We don’t want to repeat what happened’: CDC joins in probe of Badgers COVID-19 outbreak
Wisconsin State Journal
UW researchers are analyzing the viral samples to determine whether there was one point of introduction that led to the spread or if the outbreak included multiple clusters of the virus. That could take weeks to find out because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now involved in the analysis of the outbreak.
Health Experts Warn Against Basketball During Coronavirus. High Schools Are Playing It Anyway
The Wall Street Journal
A study by University of Wisconsin researchers—which had been featured on the National Federation of State High School Associations website—asserts that high school sports in Wisconsin haven’t led to an increase in Covid-19 infections among high school athletes. But Robert N. Golden, Dean of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health, said the views of the study’s lead researcher don’t represent the opinions of the university, that the study hasn’t been peer-reviewed and that its design has limitations. “High schools across the country are working to make the best decisions they can regarding the health and safety of their athletes, and we do not believe this report should play a major role in shaping their decisions,” Dr. Golden said.
‘Live, work and play’: Housing, hotel, offices, food and more proposed for University Research Park
Wisconsin State Journal
The research park is teaming with the Mandel Group of Milwaukee on an ambitious, multi-phase project with 400,000 square feet of new construction, including housing, a hotel, lab/office space, food hall, climbing gym and parking. It marks a major evolution for the 250-acre park, now characterized by modern labs and office buildings surrounded by green spaces and parking lots.
UW researchers track coronavirus mutations, measure success of “Safer at Home” order
Daily Cardinal
Data collected from Dane and Milwaukee Counties from February through April revealed two different mutations of COVID-19, one from each county. The scientists determined the strain found in Dane County was from Europe, whereas the strain in Milwaukee originated from Asia, according to a UW news release.
Beautiful and resilient: bluff country landscapes key for species survival as planet warms
Wisconsin State Journal
By the end of the century Wisconsin’s climate could be similar to St. Louis, according to models developed by scientists with the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impact. That’s roughly analogous to the warming the Earth experienced coming out of the last ice age between 19,000 and 8,000 year ago, said Jack Williams, a UW-Madison geologist and geographer who uses fossil records to study how species respond to climate change.
Regeneron trial participant from Fitchburg feeling ‘great’ as maker halts testing in sickest of patients
NBC-15
Dr. William Hartman, who is leading the trial at UW Health, said the medicine has shown not to be as effective among that patient group.
Wisconsin overall poverty rate increased from 2017 to 2018
NBC-15
The overall statewide poverty rate was on the rise in Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin- Madison research says.
Last Marquette Poll Before Election: Biden Leads Trump By 5 Points Among Likely Wisconsin Voters | Wisconsin Public Radio
WPR
Another statewide poll, released Monday by the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, showed Biden leading Trump by 9 points among likely voters in Wisconsin, with 3 percent of voters saying they were planning to support another candidate or were undecided. The margin of error on that poll was 4.1 percent, which means Biden’s lead was slightly outside the margin of error.
Joe Biden maintains lead over Donald Trump in multiple Wisconsin polls
Wisconsin State Journal
The latest UW poll found Biden holding a 9-point lead over Trump, a margin Barry Burden, a UW-Madison political science professor and director of the Elections Research Center, called “statistically significant.” What’s more, the UW poll found that while Trump has the edge among respondents who have yet to vote, the margin does not appear large enough to compensate for Biden’s advantage among early and absentee voters.
UW engineers design new mask accessory to reduce spread of COVID-19
Badger Herald
Badger Seal fits mask more tightly to face, reduces particle spread.
UW research continues despite COVID-19 disruptions
Badger Herald
’What’s at stake is a loss of potential excellent future scientists,’ professor says.
Election 7 days away: Biden picks up campaign pace as Trump barnstorms swing states | Fox News
Fox News
The RealClearPolitics poll averages show Biden up 5.5 percentage points in Wisconsin and leading by 9 percentage points in Michigan. A new poll released Monday by the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found Biden had increased his lead in the so-called “blue wall” states, with support above 50% in each state.
Wisconsin study says high school sports have not spread the coronavirus
Chicago Sun-Times
A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that the state’s high school sports have not caused an increase in COVID-19 infections among athletes.The UW School of Medicine and Public Health released the study Thursday. Researchers led by Dr. Andrew Watson surveyed 207 schools that restarted fall sports in September, representing more than 30,000 athletes, more than 16,000 practices and more than 4,000 games.
New poll puts Joe Biden strongly ahead on Michigan, Wisconsin and must-win Pennsylvania
Daily Mail Online
Biden’s lead hits 10 points in Michigan, 8 points in Pennsylvania, and 9 points in Wisconsin, according to the University of Wisconsin / YouGov polls released Monday.
Trump and racial justice rally black voters in Wisconsin
Financial Times
A 2017 study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that for the counties containing the state’s largest cities, 11 per cent of registered voters were deterred from voting by the new requirements. That translated to as many as 23,000 people.
Biden stretches lead over Trump in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania: poll
The Hill
The latest survey of likely voters in the three former “blue wall” states from the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison finds Biden nearly doubling his lead in each state compared to last month.
New Poll Shows Biden’s Lead Over Trump Grows to 9 Points in Wisconsin, Beyond the Margin of Error
Newsweek
The survey, which was conducted by YouGov for the University of Wisconsin-Madison from October 13 to 21, shows Biden backed by 53 percent of likely voters, while just 44 percent support the president. Notably, that’s a gain of 3 percentage points for the former vice president and a loss of 2 percentage points for Trump, compared with results from the survey when it was carried out in September.
Pennsylvania poll shows Biden holding solid lead over Trump as Election Day nears
Philadelphia Inquirer
Biden has support from 52% of likely Pennsylvania voters, compared to 44% for Trump, according to the survey from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
COVID-19 vaccine trial back on in the U.S., including UW Health and UW medical school
Wisconsin State Journal
ACOVID-19 vaccine trial is back on in the U.S., including at UW Health and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, after it was put on hold a week after starting in September, UW Health said.
UW poll: Joe Biden widens lead over Donald Trump in Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Journal
With the election just eight days away, Democratic candidate Joe Biden holds a 9-point lead over Republican President Donald Trump in Wisconsin, according to a new poll.
New poll shows Biden leading in three battleground states, including Wisconsin
WKOW-TV 27
With millions of votes already cast in the 2020 presidential election, a new Election Survey from the UW-Madison Elections Research Center, shows former Vice President Joe Biden has extended his lead over President Donald Trump in three battleground states: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
AstraZeneca to resume COVID-19 vaccine trial at UW
WISC-TV 3
The trial has been on hold since September. The company said the US Food and Drug Administration authorized the restart Thursday after reviewing all of the global safety data and concluding it was safe to resume. The trial had already resumed in other countries.
UW-Madison survey finds Biden support growing in swing states, including Wisconsin
WISC-TV 3
A new poll from UW-Madison’s Elections Research Center and YouGov shows former Vice President Joe Biden with growing leads over President Trump in several battleground states just days before Election Day.
UW study: High school sports have not spread the COVID-19 coronavirus
AP
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health released the study Thursday. Researchers led by Dr. Andrew Watson surveyed 207 schools that restarted fall sports in September, representing more than 30,000 athletes, more than 16,000 practices and more than 4,000 games.
UW-Madison studies show diversity, inclusion out of step in mentor-mentee relationships | The Daily Cardinal
Daily Cardinal
Two new studies spearheaded by researchers from UW-Madison highlight the shortcomings of racial and ethnic diversity progress among mentorship relationships in the postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematic and Medicine (STEMM) fields.
Covid-19 vaccine researchers left in the dark as trials remain on hold
NBC News
In early September, 37 volunteers received their first dose of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate at University Hospital at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Polls Missed The Mark In 2016. But Experts Say Things Are Different In 2020.
Wisconsin Public Radio
Aside from the Marquette poll, there is a new local, statewide poll in Wisconsin this year, the 2020 Election Survey from the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Like Marquette, this poll weights for education. Its latest results are similar to Marquette’s latest, showing Biden leading Trump by 4 points among likely voters, with a 4.5 percent margin of error.
UW researchers find way to detect COVID-19 pneumonia
WISC-TV 3
UW-Madison researchers are developing new ways to detect COVID-19 induced pneumonia.
New research study utilizes mouse model to test stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s
Badger Herald
A new study at the University of Wisconsin hopes to use stem cell therapy to doctor Parkinson’s disease. The study is led by professor of neuroscience and neurology Su Chun Zhang and postdoctoral researchers Yuejun Chen, Man Xiong and Yezheng Tao.
La Grange School District 105 Set To Implement Voluntary COVID-19 Screening Program For All Students – CBS Chicago
CBS Chicago
The District 102 plan was developed under the guidance of district board member and microbiologist Dr. Edward Campbell, and has been in place since late August. He explained it by email:“The test we have implemented in D102 is a fusion of similar tests developed by David and Shelby O’Connor and University of Wisconsin Madison and Nick Myerson and Sara Sawyer at the University of Colorado.
UW-Madison study: only small fraction of campus community discriminates
Daily Cardinal
A recently published study from a UW-Madison psychology lab found that only a small proportion of individuals commit certain types of racist and discriminatory acts on campus, providing data that could be used to counter intolerance and a lack of inclusivity toward students who come from marginalized backgrounds.
UW Health Study Finder offers new way for patients to learn about clinical trials
NBC-15
The web page allows patients to search clinical trials and studies they may qualify for.
UW-Madison Researchers Develop New Methods To Measure Discriminatory Behaviors On Campus
Wisconsin Public Radio
A new study published by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that a majority of students on campus involved in random tests did not engage in discriminatory behaviors toward students from underrepresented groups.
Wild Predators Are Relying More on Our Food
WIRED
A new study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of New Mexico used hair, fur, and bone samples to identify the diets of seven carnivore species across the Upper Midwest, from the outskirts of Albany, New York, to remote Minnesota forestland. The scientists used chemical tracers to show that the animals were relying on human food sources either directly, such as by raiding fields or trash bins, or indirectly by preying on smaller animals that do, such as mice, rabbits, or sometimes even pets.
Boosted Chews chosen to participate in gBETA early-stage accelerator program this fall
Madison365
This program, gBETA, is a seven-week experience in which companies learn how to refine their business models, meet with mentors and eventually, pitch to investors, according to their website. Boosted Chews, founded by Kit Chow and Aditya Parihar, two UW-Madison students, is one of the five startups participating in the Madison Fall 2020 cohort.
Rubella virus: Wisconsin, German researchers discover 2 new relatives
USA Today
A team of researchers, including two from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has solved a long-running biological mystery, reporting the discovery of the first two viral relatives of rubella, also known as German Measles.
COVID-19 vaccine trial at UW Health still on hold as Trump, FDA clash on approval rules
Wisconsin State Journal
ACOVID-19 vaccine trial at UW Health and around the country, halted a week after it started last month, has not resumed and it’s not clear when it might.
Newly discovered viruses suggest ‘German measles’ jumped from animals to humans
Science Magazine
The findings strongly suggest that at some point in the past, a similar virus jumped from animals to humans, giving rise to today’s rubella virus, the researchers say. Although neither of the new viruses is known to infect humans, the fact that a related virus jumped species raises concerns that the two viruses or other, as-yet-unknown relatives could cause human outbreaks. “We would be remiss not to be concerned, given what’s going on in the world today,” says epidemiologist Tony Goldberg of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a senior author of the study.
Anti-animal research organization files complaint against UW’s primate research center
Badger Herald
Organization representative worked undercover in UW animal research lab for seven months.
UW Health running clinical trial on antibody cocktail used by president
WKOW-TV 27
After news came out that President Donald Trump was undergoing an experimental antibody treatment, doctors at UW Health say interest in the study spiked after months of running tests.
Explaining UW Health’s Regeneron clinical trial of COVID-19 drug
WISC-TV 3
UW Health is one of 100 clinical trial sites in the United States using a new antibody cocktail to treat coronavirus patients. Dr. William Hartman, UW Health’s principal investigator for the Regeneron clinical trial, joins Live at Four to talk about the experimental treatment.
Cities Declare Racism A Health Crisis. Some Doubt Impact.
AP
Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County takes credit for being the first with its May 2019 order. It acted because of sobering health disparities in Wisconsin’s most populous county, where nearly 70% of the state’s Black residents live. It’s the only county with a significantly higher poverty rate than the state average, 17.5% compared with 10.8% statewide, according to a University of Wisconsin-Madison report.