Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to make a popular pain reliever and other valuable products from plants instead of petroleum.
University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty have recognized Wisconsin Energy Institute co-investigator Robert Landick for his contributions to teaching, research, and service.
New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison decodes the evolutionary pathway of regulatory proteins, the molecules that help control gene expression.
Nineteen student teams from across Illinois and Wisconsin gathered at UW–Madison's Discovery Building for the seventh annual Wisconsin KidWind Challenge on March 2. The KidWind Challenge is an opportunity for teams to test the wind or solar device they've designed, receive expert feedback, and participate in instant engineering challenges. Five teams of elementary, middle, and high school students will go on to participate in the World KidWind Challenge in Minneapolis this May.
With its streamlined genome, environmental versatility, and a single-minded focus on fermenting sugar into alcohol, Zymomonas mobilis could be a star player in the quest to replace fossil fuels with plant-based alternatives. UW–Madison scientists are working to understand what makes this microbe tick.
Zymomonas naturally produces ethanol, but with genetic modifications researchers have found ways to trick the microbe into making more valuable products like isobutanol, a form of alcohol that holds more energy and can more easily replace gasoline and jet fuel. There’s one big hurdle, though: While Zymomonas tolerates high levels of ethanol, even a little bit of isobutanol will stunt its growth.
In the quest to combat climate change, the idea of using agricultural landscapes in the Midwest to support renewable energy production has focused primarily on building wind farms and growing plant feedstocks for biofuels. Another option, called agrivoltaics, represents a new opportunity to support farmers, increase diversity in agricultural landscapes, and facilitate energy production. Here’s how.