UWAMIC News

Five questions with Katrina Forest: Solving the worlds problems with microbes

2009-10-21

Bacteriology professor Katrina Forest once considered studying architecture and in a way she does, albeit on a very small scale. As a protein crystallographer, she studies the three-dimensional structures of bacterial proteins on an atomic level to understand how the proteins function.Most of her research focuses on the tiny surface protrusions called pili that bacteria use to move across surfaces and interact with other cells including both beneficial and harmful interactions and the molecular motor proteins that drive their movements.

Survey: Broad support for biofuels in Wisconsin, but clear partisan differences

2009-10-07

Although almost two-thirds of Wisconsinites support the use and production of biofuels, less than half think the government should subsidize their development, according to a new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.The researchers also found that while about 60 percent of respondents believe the free market should provide the incentive to invest in technology to make fuels from plants or other organic materials, almost as many doubt the oil industry will go that route unless the government requires it, according to researchers Dietram Scheufele and Bret Shaw, both professors of life sciences communication at UW-Madison.

Models begin to unravel how single DNA strands combine

2009-10-05

Using computer simulations, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has identified some of the pathways through which single complementary strands of DNA interact and combine to form the double helix.Present in the cells of all living organisms, DNA is composed of two intertwined strands and contains the genetic "blueprint" through which all living organisms develop and function. Individual strands consist of nucleotides, which include a base, a sugar and a phosphate moiety.Understanding hybridization, the process through which single DNA strands combine to form a double helix is fundamental to biology and central to technologies such as DNA microchips or DNA-based nanoscale assembly. The research by the Wisconsin group begins to unravel how DNA strands come together and bind to each other, says Juan J. de Pablo, UW-Madison Howard Curler Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

Models begin to unravel how single DNA strands combine

2009-10-05

Science and media disconnect? Maybe not, says a new study

2009-09-09

The prevailing wisdom among many scientists and scientific organizations is that, as a rule, scientists are press shy, and those who aren't are mavericks.However, a new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, published in the current issue (summer 2009) of Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, suggests otherwise. The study, conducted by journalism professor Sharon Dunwoody, life sciences communication professor Dominique Brossard and graduate student Anthony Dudo, provides evidence that many mainstream scientists occasionally work with journalists and some do so routinely. And the interplay between scientists and journalists, say Brossard and Dunwoody, has been remarkably stable since the 1980s.

New approach to wound healing may be easy on skin, but hard on bacteria

2009-08-19

In a presentation today (Aug. 19) to the American Chemical Society meeting, Ankit Agarwal, a postdoctoral researcher working with Professor Nicholas Abbott at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described an experimental approach to wound healing that could take advantage of silvers antibacterial properties, while sidestepping the damage silver can cause to cells needed for healing. Silver is widely used to prevent bacterial contamination in wound dressings, says Agarwal, but these dressings deliver a very large load of silver, and that can kill a lot of cells in the wound. Wound healing is a particular problem in diabetes, where poor blood supply that inhibits healing can require amputations, and also in burn wards. Agarwal says some burn surgeons avoid silver dressings despite their constant concern with infection. Using a new approach, Agarwal has crafted an ultra-thin material carrying a precise dose of silver. One square inch contains just 0.4 percent of the silver that is found in the silver-treated antibacterial bandages now used in medicine.

New approach to wound healing may be easy on skin, but hard on bacteria

2009-08-19

Bill Murphy quoted in Highlights in Chemical Biology

2009-08-17

An August 12 story, "Revealing the factors behind liver disease," in Highlights in Chemical Biology, quoted Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Bill Murphy. The story highlights University of California, San Diego, researchers' recent development of an array to test the conditions that lead to liver damage. In the story, Murphy calls the work an elegant example of the potential of array-based strategies in biology and medicine. "Emerging approaches like this may ultimately lead to a more advanced understanding of natural microenvironments, as well as identification of new microenvironments that elicit specific cell behaviors, such as tissue regeneration." he said.

Mike Graham quoted in Physical Review Focus

2009-08-17

Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor Mike Graham was quoted in the July 13 issue of Physical Review Focus. Graham commented on research regarding fluid jets by a team of Australian researchers. Fluid jets are normally made by forcing liquid through a nozzle, such as in a squirt gun or a syringe. But in the July 10 issue of Physical Review Letters, researchers reported a way to induce a fluid jet to burst from an isolated droplet. The team placed a liquid droplet on a surface and blasted it with focused surface acoustic waves--nano-sized versions of the ground-shaking waves from earthquakes--causing the droplet to shoot upward in a narrow stream. The researchers believe the technique could be useful in drug delivery, biomedical research, and inkjet printing. This work is an "interesting approach to manipulating fluids on small scales that hasn't seen a lot of investigation in the past," said Graham.

Engineered protein-like molecule protects cells against HIV infection

2009-08-17

With the help of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and molecular engineering, researchers have designed synthetic protein-like mimics convincing enough to interrupt unwanted biological conversations between cells.Interactions between proteins are fundamental to many biological processes, including some less-than-desirable ones like infections and tumor growth. For example, HIV and several other human viruses including influenza, Ebola and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus rely on interactions both among their own proteins and with host cell proteins to infect the cells."There's a lot of information transfer that occurs when proteins come together, and one would often like to block that information flow," says Samuel Gellman, a chemistry professor at UW-Madison.

Slide Show: Tiny Art from Microscopes at UW-Madison

2009-08-06

Check out this slide show of tiny art, featuring some photos from the labs of MRSEC faculty.

Slide Show: Tiny Art from Microscopes at UW-Madison

2009-08-05

Check out this slide show of tiny art, featuring some photos from the labs of NSEC faculty.

Professor Bob Hamers receives the 2009 SSIN Prize

2009-07-29

The Semiconductor Surfaces, Interfaces, and Nanostructures Prize will be given by the 12th International Conference of the Formation of Semiconductor Interfaces in Weimar, Germany. Congratulations to Bob for this wonderful honor!

Professor Bob Hamers receives the 2009 SSIN Prize

2009-07-29

John Moore selected as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society

2009-07-27

Department of Chemistry Professor and Co-Leader of the NSEC Education Group John Moore has been selected as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society. This is a new level of recognition at the ACS, and John has been selected as a member of the first group of ACS Fellows who will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on August 17th.

Nanoventure: The Nanotechnology Board Game

2009-06-19

After five years of iterative development, we\'ve finally finished our NanoVenture game! NanoVenture: The Nanotechnology Board Game explores the connections between science, specifically nanotechnology, and society. Thanks to Kim Duncan for all of her hard work in the final push and putting together this informational website: http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/supplies/nanoventure/index.html

Scientists and public differ on views about nanotechnology regulation

2009-06-19

When it comes to regulating nanotechnology a burgeoning global industry with wide-ranging potential applications a new study led by professors Dietram Scheufele at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Elizabeth Corley at Arizona State University (ASU) reveals that the views of U.S. nanoscientists differ from those of the general public.Nanotechnology involves controlling matter of atomic and molecular size to develop devices of incredibly small scale, usually 100 nanometers or smaller (small enough to fit through the pores of a surgical mask). The technology is becoming more pervasive, with more than 1,000 products ranging from more efficient solar panels to scratch-resistant automobile paint to souped-up golf clubs already on the market. Global revenues from products using nanotechnology are estimated to reach $2.8 trillion by 2015, according to Global Industry Analysts Inc.

Professor Arun Yethiraj Receives a Letters and Science Faculty Fellow Award

2009-05-18

Please join us in congratulating Professor Arun Yethiraj on receiving a Letters and Science Faculty Fellow Award. The Faculty Fellow Awards are extremely competitive awards that are provided to the most outstanding faculty in the College of Letters and Science on the basis of their research, teaching, and service. The award consists of 5 years of flexible research support. Please join us on congratulating Arun on this terrific honor!

Professor Bob Hamers to receive the 2009 Medard Welch Award

2009-05-11

Professor Bob Hamers has been selected to receive the 2009 Medard Welch Award of the AVS (formerly the American Vacuum Society), the society\'s highest award. The citation reads, \"for wide ranging studies of chemistry and photochemistry at semiconductor surfaces and for establishing connections to various emergent technologies\". The Welch award consists of a cash prize, a struck gold medal, and an honorary lectureship at the national AVS meeting in November. Please join us in congratulating Bob!

Juan de Pablo receives Byron Bird Award for Excellence in Research Publication

2009-05-11

Through a series of nine research articles each one of which colleagues worldwide consider a landmark publication Howard Curler Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Juan de Pablo has demonstrated unprecedented advances in developing powerful computational methods that enable researchers to conduct molecular simulations of complex fluids. With his students, de Pablo has invented new simulation methods, algorithms and theoretical formalisms that are key to establishing quantitative relations between atomic-level structure and interactions, processing conditions, macroscopic properties, and performance in applications.

Professor Bob Hamers to Receive the 2009 Medard Welch Award

2009-05-11

Professor Bob Hamers has been selected to receive the 2009 Medard Welch Award of the AVS (formerly the American Vacuum Society), the society's highest award. The citation reads, "for wide ranging studies of chemistry and photochemistry at semiconductor surfaces and for establishing connections to various emergent technologies". The Welch award consists of a cash prize, a struck gold medal, and an honorary lectureship at the national AVS meeting in November. Please join us in congratulating Bob!

Juan de Pablo receives Byron Bird Award for Excellence in Research Publication

2009-05-11

Andrew Greenberg featured in ACS Nano Podcast

2009-04-28

Andrew Greenberg, Co-Leader of the NSEC Education Group, was featured in an ACS Nano podcast to support a NanoFocus article he wrote for ACS Nano\'s April issue. Follow the link to listen to the podcast.

Susan Coppersmith elected to National Academy of Sciences

2009-04-28

Susan N. Coppersmith, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of physics, was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in recognition of her \"distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.\"Coppersmith is a theoretical physicist who explores the fundamental properties of many types of matter. At UW-Madison, she has studied how crustaceans form their shells, how advanced computers may operate at the atomic scale, and, in collaboration with the university\'s Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, how to manipulate matter at scales of a few billionths of a meter.

James Dumesic recognized by AAAS

2009-04-22

James Dumesic was among four UW-Madison scholars elected to The American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2009 class of fellows. Established in 1780, the academy studies contemporary issues influenced by science, humanities, culture and education. The goal of electing an annual class of fellows is to enhance its ability to conduct interdisciplinary, long-term policy research.

Art of the very, very small to debut at Dane County Airport

2009-04-15

Artful images of the very, very small cells, molecules and nanoscale structures will be on display beginning Friday, April 24, at the Art Court of the Dane County Regional Airport.The show, \"Tiny: Art From Microscopes at UW-Madison,\" will be open through September and features the beautiful images generated in the course of research by UW-Madison biologists, engineers and physical scientists. The show is free and open to the public.

Max Lagally Named MRS Fellow

2009-04-01

The Materials Research Society (MRS) named Erwin W. Mueller Professor and Bascom Professor of Surface Science Max Lagally an MRS fellow. Fellowship honors members whose sustained and distinguished contributions to materials research are internationally recognized. MRS will recognize new fellows at the 2009 spring meeting, April 13-17 in San Francisco. Less that 0.2 percent of MRS members are named fellows each year, and fellowship is a lifetime appointment.

Postdoctoral Positions - MRSEC Interdisciplinary Education Group

2009-03-30

One position will focus on informal and K-12 education and on our collaboration with the NSF-funded Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net). Another position will focus on undergraduate and graduate-level education and educational material development. Applications are due April 24, 2009.

Sights Unseen: Images of the Nanoscale

2009-03-30

Images will be on display at the Dane County Regional Airport as part of a collaborative exhibition, curated by Tandem Press. The show opens Thursday, April 23rd.

NanoDays Events Through Mid-April

2009-03-30

The UW-Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on Nanostructured Interfaces is sponsoring NanoDays 2009, part of the second annual nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering and its potential impact on the future. Events in Madison run through April 18 and include presentations and discussions on energy and nanotechnology on April 1, hands-on activities at the UW-Madison Science Expeditions public event on April 4, NanoDays program at the Madison Children's Museum April 5, and activities at the UW-Madison Engineering Expo April 16-18.

Wisconsin, Morgridge scientists excise vector, exotic genes from induced stem cells

2009-03-26

A team of scientists from the Morgridge Institute for Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that it has created induced human pluripotent stem (iPS) cells completely free of viral vectors and exotic genes.By reprogramming skin cells to an embryonic state using a plasmid rather than a virus to ferry reprogramming genes into adult cells, the Wisconsin group's work removes a key safety concern about the potential use of iPS cells in therapeutic settings.The new method, which is reported in today's (March 26) online issue of the journal Science, also removes the exotic reprogramming genes from the iPS equation, as the plasmid and the genes it carries do not integrate into an induced cell's genome and can be screened out of subsequent generations of cells. Thus, cells made using the new method are completely free of any genetic artifacts that could compromise therapeutic safety or skew research results, according to the Science report.The new work was conducted in the laboratory of James Thomson, the UW-Madison scientist who was the first to successfully culture human embryonic stem cells in 1998 and, in 2007, co-discovered a way to make human-induced pluripotent stem cells. Thomson, a professor in the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, is also the director of regenerative biology for the Morgridge Institute for Research, the private, nonprofit side of the new Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery at UW-Madison.

NanoDays: Saturday, March 28-Sunday, April 5

2009-03-19

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Interfaces presents NanoDays 2009, part of the second annual nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering and its potential impact on the future.The largest public outreach effort in nanoscale informal science education, NanoDays events, organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), will take place Saturday, March 28-Sunday, April 5, at more than 200 science museums, research centers and universities across the country from Maine to Hawaii.NanoDays activities will bring university researchers together with science museum educators to create unique new learning experiences for both children and adults to explore the miniscule world of atoms, molecules and nanoscale forces. Most NanoDays sites will combine simple hands-on activities for young people with presentations on current research for adults.

MRSEC RET-project gains national recognition

2009-03-11

Doug Weibel admits he has used his own kids as guinea pigs to test out ideas. But he never imagined a relatively inexpensive $85 microscope he bought them from a toy store would lead him to create MicroExplorers, an educational outreach program to introduce elementary students, their teachers, and parents to the world of optical microscopy.Weibel, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, brought home a Digital Blue microscope for his children, then ages seven and four. I was amazed by how focused they were on it, he says, chuckling at his own pun. His children took thousands of pictures and submitted several of them to prestigious science image competitions. Here you have a couple of little kidsworking on discovery-based science, he says, a realization that moved him to form a network with other likeminded people interested in using microscopes to teach science.Challenges awaited him. Building an outreach program based on microscopy is difficult, he contends, because microscopes require a lot of maintenance and can be heavy to transport. But he calls his lightweight kids microscope with its built-in camera an incredible device that is easy for children to use and therefore worth the effort.Working with kids is a blast, he adds, especially with very young kids in grades K3. The kids are fearless and so creative, so willing to take chances.Weibel has assembled a team of young UW scientists, educators, and designers who lead the MicroExplorers events and develop the curriculum modules. One of them is Troy Dassler, a first-grade bilingual teacher at Aldo Leopold Elementary School in Madison who interned in Weibels lab last summer as part of the universitys Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers Research Experience for Teachers program. Dassler taught the completed modules this year.

UW Researchers Invited To Obama Stem Cell Ceremony

2009-03-09

Five University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers were invited to President Barack Obama's ceremony lifting restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research.Obama signed the order Monday undoing some restrictions put in place by former President George W. Bush on the work.UW-Madison spokesman Terry Devitt said those invited include scientist James Thomson; the co-directors of the school's Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, Tim Kamp and Clive Svendsen; bioethicist Alta Charo; and National Stem Cell Bank Director Derek Hei.

James Thomson comments on Obama\'s stem cell executive action

2009-03-09

Following is a statement from James Thomson, professor of anatomy, on President Barack Obama's decision to lift restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research."The executive action by President Obama lifting restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research is a welcome milestone for our field. The decision will help restore America as a leader in this field and is a clear path out of a policy thicket that has slowed the pace of discovery for eight years. It also removes a stigma that has discouraged many bright young people from embarking on careers in stem cell research. Research on embryonic stem cells remains critically important. We have many unanswered questions, and the only way to realize the full potential of embryonic stem cells and other types of stem cells is a level playing field and unfettered inquiry. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells the transformed adult cells that seem to mimic the qualities of embryonic stem cells would not have been possible without research on human embryonic stem cells. We are grateful to President Obama for the courage of his decision as well as for the broad bipartisan support our work has received in Washington."

Female airmen underrepresented in tech field

2009-03-08

A March 8 story in the "Air Force Times" quoted Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Amy Wendt. In the story, "Female airmen underrepresented in tech field," Wendt pointed out that although high school girls take as many math and science courses as boys do, they are less likely to continue pursue a career in technical fields. In part, she says, it's marketing: Engineering and other technical fields often receive attention for being technically rigorous and difficult, which might appeal more to men, but factors that could appeal more to womencreativity and the ability to make a difference in peoples livesarent highlighted, she said.

Models present a new view of nanoscale friction

2009-02-25

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 nanoscalemere billionths of a meterfriction can wreak havoc on tiny devices made from only a small number of atoms or molecules. With their high surface-to-volume ratio, nanomaterials are especially susceptible to the forces of friction.Yet, researchers have trouble describing friction at such small scales because existing theories are not consistent with how nanomaterials actually behave. Through computer simulations, the group demonstrated that friction at the atomic level behaves similarly to friction generated between large objects. Five hundred years after Leonardo da Vinci discovered the basic friction laws for large objects, the UW-Madison team has shown that similar laws apply at the nanoscale.The team, which was led by Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Izabela Szlufarska and included materials science and engineering graduate student Yifei Mo and Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Kevin Turner, published its findings in the February 26 issue of the journal Nature.

Ronald Raines receives Kellet Mid-Career Award

2009-02-25

Eight faculty have received Kellett Mid-Career Awards for their research. Kellett Awards are given by the Graduate School and funded by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. They are given to faculty who are five to 20 years past their first promotion to a tenured position. Honorees receive a $60,000 flexible research fund.Ronald Raines, biochemistry. Raines has provided fundamental insight into the stability of collagen and other proteins; discovered an RNA-cleaving enzyme that is a clinical anti-cancer agent; and developed processes to synthesize proteins and convert biomass into fuels and chemicals.

Manos Mavrikakis receives 2009 Romnes Faculty Fellowship

2009-02-25

Nine faculty have been honored with Romnes Faculty Fellowships. The awards are given by the Graduate School and funded by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. They recognize tenured faculty members who have attained tenure within the prior four years. Winners receive a $50,000 flexible research fund.Manos Mavrikakis, chemical and biological engineering. Mavrikakis is a world leader in the use of first-principles electronic structure calculations for developing a fundamental understanding of the surface reaction mechanisms and for designing catalytic materials at the atomic scale. He received the 2009 Emmett Award in Fundamental Catalysis and serves on the editorial board of three scientific journals.

Song Jin receives Sloan Fellowship

2009-02-20

Four members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty, including Song Jin, are among 118 scientists, mathematicians and economists from around the country who have been awarded prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowships.Sloan Fellowships, which come with two-year, $50,000 grants, are awarded on a competitive basis to promising young researchers in the early stages of their careers.Sloan Research Fellowships have been awarded since 1955. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a New York-based not-for-profit philanthropy founded in 1934. The foundation makes grants in support of research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and economic performance.

New kind of stem cells can turn into heart cells, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers show

2009-02-13

An excerpt:"A new kind of stem cells developed by UW-Madison researcher James Thomson performs like his old kind in a lively way.The new cells can be turned into heart cells that beat in a lab dish, other scientists on campus have shown. The achievement could lead to a better understanding of heart disease and therapies crafted from the skin of patients with heart problems."

Sean Palecek's Research Noted in Wisconsin State Journal

2009-02-13

Chemical and Biological Engineering Associate Professor Sean Palecek is noted in a February 13 article in the Wisconsin State Journal for his collaboration on research that turned a new kind of stem cell into heart cells.

Doug Weibel receives 2009 Research Service Grant Award

2009-02-11

The university has awarded 2009 Research Service Grant Awards to Nancy Mithlo, Department of Art History, and Douglas Weibel, Department of Biochemistry.

Mavrikakis appointed editor and honored by students

2009-02-01

Newly appointed Chemical and Biological Engineering Paul A. Elfers Chair Manos Mavrikakis was recently appointed to the editorial board of Catalysis Today. Mavrikakis also was honored by university residence hall students who named him an Honored Instructor. The majority of those in university residence halls are first-year students. Students in residence halls submit names of instructors who made them want to learn more, made a difference in their college career, challenged them to think in a new way, or were simply a favorite.

Can you see me now? Flexible photodetectors could help sharpen photos

2009-01-13

Distorted cell-phone photos and big, clunky telephoto lenses could be things of the past.UW-Madison Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma and colleagues have developed a flexible light-sensitive material that could revolutionize photography and other imaging technologies.Their technology is featured on the cover of the January 5 issue of Applied Physics Letters.

Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma receives presidential award

2008-12-23

Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma was among 67 researchers honored with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) at a White House ceremony on Friday, Dec. 19. Since 1996, the annual PECASE awards have honored the most promising researchers in the United States, nominated by nine federal departments and agencies. Though at the start of their careers, these scientists and engineers have already demonstrated exceptional research and promise.

Frenco Cerrina honored as AAAS fellow

2008-12-22

Franco Cerrina, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, cited for work to develop technology in support of on-demand DNA microarray chips, a technology that permits high-definition gene expression analysis.

James Thomson receives 2008 Massry Prize honoring stem cell researchers

2008-12-18

James Thomson, director of regenerative biology at the Morgridge Institute for Research and John D. MacArthur Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, has received the prestigious Massry Prize for 2008. The award recognizes Thomson for his groundbreaking discovery made a decade ago of human embryonic stem (ES) cells and his subsequent work in developing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.The Meira and Shaul G. Massry Foundation established the Massry Prize in 1996 to recognize outstanding contributions to the biomedical sciences and the advancement of health. Founded by Shaul Massry, professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Southern California (USC), the nonprofit foundation promotes education and research in nephrology, physiology, and related fields. The Massry Prize includes a substantial honorarium and eight of its recipients have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize.

New Studies Reveal Differing Perceptions of Nature-Altering Science

2008-12-11

An exerpt:"What we captured is nano-specific," said Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of life sciences communication. "But it is also representative of a larger attitude toward science and technology. It raises a big question about what's really going on in our public discourse where science and religion often clash.""Our findings show that the public no longer just turns to scientists for answers about the science, but also for answers about its social implications," he said. "In other words, they want to know not only what can be done, but also what should be done. The more prepared scientists are to answer both questions, the more credible their societal leadership will be on issues like nanotechnology," said Scheufele, who co-authored the study with Elizabeth Corley, School of Public Affairs at Arizona State.

For nano, religion in U.S. dictates a wary view

2008-12-08

In the United States and a few European countries where religion plays a larger role in everyday life, notably Italy, Austria and Ireland, nanotechnology and its potential to alter living organisms or even inspire synthetic life is perceived as less morally acceptable. In more secular European societies, such as those in France and Germany, individuals are much less likely to view nanotechnology through the prism of religion and find it ethically suspect."The level of 'religiosity' in a particular country is one of the strongest predictors of whether or not people see nanotechnology as morally acceptable," says Dietram Scheufele, a UW-Madison professor of life sciences communication and the lead author of the new study. "Religion was the strongest influence over everything."

UWAMIC News

Five questions with Katrina Forest: Solving the worlds problems with microbes

Survey: Broad support for biofuels in Wisconsin, but clear partisan differences

Models begin to unravel how single DNA strands combine

Models begin to unravel how single DNA strands combine

Science and media disconnect? Maybe not, says a new study

New approach to wound healing may be easy on skin, but hard on bacteria

New approach to wound healing may be easy on skin, but hard on bacteria

Bill Murphy quoted in Highlights in Chemical Biology

Mike Graham quoted in Physical Review Focus

Engineered protein-like molecule protects cells against HIV infection

Slide Show: Tiny Art from Microscopes at UW-Madison

Slide Show: Tiny Art from Microscopes at UW-Madison

Professor Bob Hamers receives the 2009 SSIN Prize

Professor Bob Hamers receives the 2009 SSIN Prize

John Moore selected as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society

Nanoventure: The Nanotechnology Board Game

Scientists and public differ on views about nanotechnology regulation

Professor Arun Yethiraj Receives a Letters and Science Faculty Fellow Award

Professor Bob Hamers to receive the 2009 Medard Welch Award

Juan de Pablo receives Byron Bird Award for Excellence in Research Publication

Professor Bob Hamers to Receive the 2009 Medard Welch Award

Juan de Pablo receives Byron Bird Award for Excellence in Research Publication

Andrew Greenberg featured in ACS Nano Podcast

Susan Coppersmith elected to National Academy of Sciences

James Dumesic recognized by AAAS

Art of the very, very small to debut at Dane County Airport

Max Lagally Named MRS Fellow

Postdoctoral Positions - MRSEC Interdisciplinary Education Group

Sights Unseen: Images of the Nanoscale

NanoDays Events Through Mid-April

Wisconsin, Morgridge scientists excise vector, exotic genes from induced stem cells

NanoDays: Saturday, March 28-Sunday, April 5

MRSEC RET-project gains national recognition

UW Researchers Invited To Obama Stem Cell Ceremony

James Thomson comments on Obama\'s stem cell executive action

Female airmen underrepresented in tech field

Models present a new view of nanoscale friction

Ronald Raines receives Kellet Mid-Career Award

Manos Mavrikakis receives 2009 Romnes Faculty Fellowship

Song Jin receives Sloan Fellowship

New kind of stem cells can turn into heart cells, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers show

Sean Palecek's Research Noted in Wisconsin State Journal

Doug Weibel receives 2009 Research Service Grant Award

Mavrikakis appointed editor and honored by students

Can you see me now? Flexible photodetectors could help sharpen photos

Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma receives presidential award

Frenco Cerrina honored as AAAS fellow

James Thomson receives 2008 Massry Prize honoring stem cell researchers

New Studies Reveal Differing Perceptions of Nature-Altering Science

For nano, religion in U.S. dictates a wary view

Five questions with Katrina Forest: Solving the worlds problems with microbes