Chemistry

This year the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is celebrating the centennial of two major achievements: the discoveries of vitamin B and the link between goiter and iodine. These two important scientific achievements, as well as the stories, personalities, and controversies that accompanied them changed the field of […]

Looking back 100 years at two major biochemistry discoveries

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Researchers in Dr. Amgad Hanna’s Lab at UW–Madison are experimenting with new treatment options to help restore function after spinal cord injuries. The treatment involves an injection of Interleukin-10, an anti-inflammatory protein, to a damaged nerve tissue site. In the standard method of application, the protein is injected and disperses […]

Testing new treatment methods for spinal cord injuries

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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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A tree shines yellow near the UW–Madison Arboretum
Each year, as August fades into September here in southern Wisconsin, it always seems to take me by surprise to see the bright greens of spring and summer subtly transition to the goldens and burgundys of autumn. The trees and prairies slowly changing their attire. “But isn’t it too soon?” […]

Why do leaves change color in the fall?

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Fireworks light up the night sky over Lake Mendota
It’s firework season in the United States. Independence Day. A celebration of our freedom and sovereignty as a nation. Each year, we stand in awe beneath the brilliant light shows put on across the country, paying homage to our heritage and our history. But how often have you wondered how fireworks are […]

The science of fireworks

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