Research August 13, 2026 · 4 min read CRISPR roadblocks: Scientists identify genes blocking gene therapy success Like a delivery driver navigating crowded city streets, a gene-therapy-toting lipid nanoparticle faces a gauntlet of potential detours on its journey toward a cell’s nucleus. First, there’s entering the cell’s plasma membrane; then navigating around…
ResearchWisconsin Idea July 23, 2026 · 5 min read For UW-Madison computer engineering educator, colleagues’ advances in microwave ablation targeted cancer close to home Reflecting on his more than 20 years as a member of the teaching faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Eric Hoffman is grateful for the opportunity…
Research June 9, 2026 · 3 min read Tunable metasurface could bring powerful molecular sensing from the lab to the field Mid-infrared spectroscopy can identify the molecular composition of unknown samples by their “fingerprints” at different wavelengths, allowing scientists to look beyond visible light’s band within the electromagnetic spectrum. The resulting compositional data is valuable for…
Research April 15, 2026 · 2 min read New tool for researchers makes it easier to analyze individual neurons The electrical properties of a neuron paint a picture of its development and function. A new user-friendly and accessible tool developed at the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with the help of biomedical…
AwardsFaculty March 16, 2026 · 6 min read Grants empower bold thinking and transform vision into momentum Expanding a consortium that strengthens ties between the college and the steel industry. Commercializing chip-cooling tech. Designing an economical nuclear microreactor. Through funding and in-kind support, Wisconsin Impact Nexus grants are igniting a ripple effect,…
FacultyResearch January 21, 2026 · 4 min read ‘Quantum imaging’ could open new window to nanoscale universe As spectacular as modern imaging can be in illuminating the tiniest aspects of life, some avenues of biology are still cloaked in darkness. Biological processes that happen over long periods of time—for example, exchanges of…
Research October 9, 2025 · 3 min read CRISPR with a ‘dimmer’ could elevate precision gene editing In an ideal world, after the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool enters a cell’s nucleus and cuts its targeted slice of DNA, it would disappear. “You don’t want the Cas9 protein to stick around too long,” says…
Research October 8, 2025 · 3 min read New tool interrogates machine learning models to uncover disease-leading biomarker interactions Yang Lu likes to say that searching the human genotype for a biomarker of a given disease is akin to trying to find a needle in a haystack. Or, more accurately, needles—the set of biomarker…
Research October 1, 2025 · 3 min read Researchers look to advanced metabolic imaging to improve cancer immunotherapy Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is transforming cancer care for patients with cancers of the blood, but has proven especially challenging to develop against solid tumors. Researchers at the Morgridge Institute and UW–Madison…
Research September 25, 2025 · 3 min read Sensor shines light on potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer When doctors diagnose ovarian cancer at an early stage, patients have a five-year survival rate of better than 90%, according to the American Cancer Society. That rate plummets as the disease progresses to further stages….