Utilizing CRISPR for better antibiotics

Drug screening with Mobile-CRISPRi

15-Jan-2019 - A University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher and his collaborators at the University of California, San Francisco have repurposed the gene-editing tool CRISPR to study which genes are targeted by particular antibiotics, providing clues on how to improve existing antibiotics or develop new ...

Thin photodetector could increase performance without adding bulk

Enabling optoelectronics advances

10-Jul-2017 - In today's increasingly powerful electronics, tiny materials are a must as manufacturers seek to increase performance without adding bulk. Smaller also is better for optoelectronic devices -- like camera sensors or solar cells -- which collect light and convert it to electrical energy. Think, for ...

Gene mutation may speed up memory loss in Alzheimer's disease

05-May-2017 - A gene mutation may accelerate the loss of memory and thinking skills in people who are at risk for Alzheimer's disease. The gene mutation is called the BDNF Val66Met allele, or just the Met allele. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein produced by the gene of the same name. It is ...

Direct radiolabeling of nanomaterials

10-Feb-2017 - Positron emission tomography plays a pivotal role for monitoring the distribution and accumulation of radiolabeled nanomaterials in living subjects. The radioactive metals are usually connected to the nanomaterial through an anchor, a so-called chelator, but this chemical binding can be omitted ...

Single brain cells reveal genes controlling formation, development

21-Mar-2016 - In one of the first studies to 'read' the genetic activity inside individual brain cells, University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist Xinyu Zhao has identified the genetic machinery that causes maturation in a young nerve cell. The cells under study came from the hippocampus, a memory-related ...

Analytical trick accelerates protein studies

26-Feb-2013 - Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found a new way to accelerate a workhorse instrument that identifies proteins. The high-speed technique could help diagnose cancer sooner and point to new drugs for treating a wide range of conditions.Proteins are not only numerous — humans ...

Nanotechnologists from Penn collaborate to form near-frictionless diamond material

03-Mar-2010 - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and IBM Research-Zürich have fabricated an ultra sharp, diamond-like carbon tip possessing such high strength that it is 3,000 times more wear-resistant at the nanoscale than silicon. The end result is a ...

Models present new view of nanoscale friction

02-Mar-2009 - To understand friction on a very small scale, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers had to think big. Friction is a force that affects any application where moving parts come into contact; the more surface contact there is, the stronger the force. At the nanoscale friction can ...

Ebola virus disarmed by excising a single gene

23-Jan-2008 - The deadly Ebola virus, an emerging public health concern in Africa and a potential biological weapon, ranks among the most feared of exotic pathogens. Due to its virulent nature, and because no vaccines or treatments are available, scientists studying the agent have had to work under the most ...

Better sludge through metagenomics

Researchers seek to master wastewater treatment failures

28-Sep-2006 - Wastewater treatment is the largest microbially-mediated biotechnology process on the planet. When it works, it is a microbial symphony in tune with humanity. When it fails, the consequences can be dire. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and ...