Research Making a Difference – WARF

Detecting High Cholesterol in Kids to Prevent Future Cardiac Disease – 2022 WARF Innovation Award Nominee

Chris Najdowski — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 18:04:14 +0000

Meet the clinicians developing a genetic test for infants that can lower their risk of cardiovascular disease. Approximately 1 in 200-300 people will develop familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a common genetic disorder characterized by elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and premature cardiovascular disease. Recent findings show that lowering cholesterol levels at a...

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Testing the Strength of Soft Materials – 2022 WARF Innovation Awards Nominee

Chris Najdowski — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 15:15:29 +0000

Watch the mechanical engineers measuring cheese and other soft materials with acoustic waves. Soft materials are everywhere. In many applications, valuable information about the strength of these materials enables more precise control in everything from cutting and processing soft foods to designing new medical devices or assessing tissue properties for diagnostic applications.

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New, Lightweight Material to Protect Against Bullets and Other High-Speed Impacts – 2022 WARF Innovation Awards Nominee

Chris Najdowski — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 00:02:51 +0000

Meet an engineering physics team using carbon nanotubes to make armor that’s stronger than Kevlar. Manufacturers require material that can absorb a high amount of kinetic energy from ballistic impacts to produce protective equipment such as bulletproof vests and tank armor, and air- and spacecraft that can withstand continuous micro-debris impacts. The stronger and lighter the material...

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Supercharging Photosynthesis to Increase Carbon Storage, Aromatics Production – 2022 WARF Innovation Awards Nominee

Chris Najdowski — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 13:03:57 +0000

See how a team of botanists is supercharging photosynthesis to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere. Aromatic compounds hold promise for carbon storage and provide the basic ingredients for many products, including certain pharmaceuticals, commodity chemicals and materials. Currently, aromatic compounds are extracted from fossil fuels, a process that contributes to CO2 emissions and global...

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Making Telecommunications More Affordable – 2022 WARF Innovation Awards Nominee

Chris Najdowski — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 14:30:46 +0000

Discover the material scientists using graphene to deliver fiber optics to hard-to-reach communities. Currently, the modulation of light used in telecom transmissions requires costly and relatively large electro-optic modulators (EOMs). These devices operate at high voltages and require special care to track and adjust their power. Made with expensive non-linear crystals, EOMs are only compatible...

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Innovative New Diagnostic Test for Sjögren’s Syndrome – 2022 WARF Innovation Awards Nominee

Chris Najdowski — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 17:59:18 +0000

Meet the medical team and statisticians making it less painful to diagnose a debilitating autoimmune disorder. Sjögren’s syndrome is one of the most common systemic rheumatic diseases, affecting an estimated 4 million Americans. In roughly half of patients, this disorder occurs in the presence of another autoimmune connective tissue disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or scleroderma.

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Realta Fusion: Breakthrough Physics for Clean Energy Generation

Chris Najdowski — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:12:01 +0000

The Wisconsin High-field Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) project is leveraging major advances in superconducting magnets and plasma heating to pursue commercially viable nuclear fusion power. Fusion is how energy is generated in the sun, yet it has been tremendously challenging to harness on Earth. This project seeks to pave the way to a comparatively low-cost fusion device that can be a net energy...

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RosetteArraysTM: Transforming Risk Assessment and Drug Discovery for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Chris Najdowski — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:10:17 +0000

Neurosetta has developed RosetteArray technology, a high-throughput human brain and spinal cord modeling platform that is transforming developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) testing and drug development for neurodevelopmental disorders. It is impossible to conduct chemical safety and drug screening on such embryonic tissues in human embryos. Yet, science is informing us that neurodevelopmental...

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Beyond CBD: Optimized Hemp Cultivars

Chris Najdowski — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:08:12 +0000

A team of UW-Madison researchers and WCIC staff is using state-of-the-art genetic engineering to improve industrial hemp. Leveraging their knowledge of crop genomics, they have developed a patented gene editing method that allows them to create optimized hemp varieties with high-value traits. Hemp, one of the earliest plants to be spun into fiber thousands of years ago, now commands a $6 billion...

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Control and Disrupt: Next-Generation Semiconductors Outperform Silicon

Chris Najdowski — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 18:03:31 +0000

A team of UW-Madison materials scientists have developed a method for aligning atomically thin rolls of graphene – called carbon nanotubes – to enable next-generation electronics. The well-aligned, high-density carbon nanotubes act like tiny semiconducting wires that can significantly outperform silicon. Semiconductors, which underpin all of modern electronics from our cars to the microprocessors...

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