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College of Engineering news

Associate Professor James Pikul, far right, with members of his research lab
September 10, 2024

Borrowing from biology, new liquid batteries store oxygen like blood to power robots

The human body’s circulatory system pumps oxygen and glucose to trillions of cells, providing them with essential energy and nutrients. Inspired by the body’s example, a team led by James…

UW Crest with engineering background
September 5, 2024

Inspired by UW methods, FEMA’s new floodplain forecast looks clear

For an expansive effort to remap floodplains across the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are drawing on a University of Wisconsin-Madison engineer’s…

Zhaohui Liang works on a control unit
September 4, 2024

In the back yard, autonomous lawn mowers on the horizon

Set it and forget it. That’s the wish of every homeowner who’s trying to fit mowing the lawn into an already busy weekend. It’s also the logic driving (pun intended)…

PhD student Jiahao Zhao
September 3, 2024

New antenna design thwarts attempts to sidetrack or steal sensitive information

By blocking “backdoor” access, an antenna developed by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers may enable both military personnel and ordinary citizens to keep their communications more private and secure. Called a…

Danielle Desa
September 3, 2024

Optical imaging technique gives a closer look at new ways to grow heart cells

While cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, there are barriers to studying and modeling heart disease in the laboratory. The specialized muscle cells that…

A schematic from a study investigating the compaction and relaxation behavior of composite reverse osmosis polyamide selective layers
August 30, 2024

Study reveals membrane behavior impacting water-purification performance

Desalination can help provide much-needed freshwater to communities lacking access, but the process can be difficult at scale. Now, scientists have discovered one of the reasons behind that difficulty. Roughly…

Oguzhan Alagoz
August 9, 2024

Alagoz uncovers factors behind racial disparities in colorectal cancer

Even as racial disparities in screenings for colorectal cancer have narrowed, the discrepancies in outcomes between Black and white Americans remain stubbornly wide. Black adults are 23% more likely to…

postdoctoral researcher Wissam Kontar and PhD student Erin Bulson
August 6, 2024

A more digestible CO2 calculator swaps cheeseburgers for carbon

A new study authored by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers introduces public audiences to the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission impact of different modes of transportation through a simple online calculator. To…

a maple tree on the UW-Madison campus
July 25, 2024

In complex systems, function follows form, and that’s why Victor Zavala wants chemical engineers to think about how the shape of systems influences their behavior

Most people learn how important shapes are in preschool. But in a commentary in the July 25, 2024 issue of the journal Nature Chemical Engineering, a University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical…

Researchers celebrate achieving a plasma from the control room at the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror Project (WHAM) experiment
July 18, 2024

First plasma marks major milestone in UW–Madison fusion energy research

A fusion device at the University of Wisconsin–Madison generated plasma for the first time Monday, opening a door to making the highly anticipated, carbon-free energy source a reality. Over the…