Biology

In the hit HBO television series “Game of Thrones,” the show’s heroes are constantly struggling against a persistent enemy to the north of The Wall, a massive wall of ice that separates the wild northern lands from the southern kingdoms and their inhabitants. Their foes, called white walkers, are zombie-inspired snow creatures […]

Communicating immune health through pop-culture

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Open up any social media app today and you will be bombarded with hashtags and Snapchat filters reminding you that today, September 29th, is National Coffee Day. And such an occasion would not be complete without a thorough investigation of the namesake’s key ingredient: caffeine. So, grab your favorite cold […]

So what is caffeine, anyway?

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An abstract image shows a DNA double helix overlaying a human outline, with cartoon molecules depicting the different genetic and protein changes that may be causing disease
Precision medicine has become a fairly big buzzword in cancer treatment lately. The University of Wisconsin is planning the UW Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine, and the Wisconsin state government’s recently-passed budget includes funding for the UW Carbone Cancer Center’s statewide Precision Medicine Molecular Tumor Board. What is […]

What is precision medicine in cancer treatment?

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According to a recently published study, invasive quagga mussels in Lake Michigan, paired with decreasing nutrient availability, could explain an observed decline in food chain productivity in Lake Michigan. Currently, Lake Michigan is in the midst of a decade-long decline in food chain productivity, or the lake’s ability to produce […]

Going hungry in Lake Michigan

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Perhaps you’ve noticed: It’s spring and the Plants Are Blooming. Maybe it’s the smell of the lilacs, or the buzzing of bees. Or perhaps it’s the lush greens and bursts of color blurring your field of vision. But have you ever wondered how the landscape transitions from the brown drab of […]

Why flowers need winter

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You never quite stop flinching when you’re inside the airlock and the scientist cuts off your protective equipment. But by the third time, you get pretty good at being an unconscious medical victim in the high-containment suite of the influenza lab, figuring out the most comfortable pose to adopt and […]

Life as a professional medical victim

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At the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters’ James Watrous Gallery, local artist Leslie Iwai’s exhibit, Daughter Cells, is on display now through January 22. Iwai’s work was largely inspired through a collaboration with UW Carbone Cancer Center professor Mark Burkard and his research on cell division. I sat down with Iwai and Burkard recently to […]

When science becomes art

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