Programmable proteins use logic to improve targeted drug delivery

October 9, 2025

Programmable proteins use logic to improve targeted drug delivery

A series of colorful shapes are arranged into two ring structures.

Targeted drug delivery is a powerful and promising area of medicine. Therapies that pinpoint precise areas of the body can reduce the medicine dosage and avoid potentially harmful “off target” effects. Researchers at the UW took a significant step toward that goal by designing proteins with autonomous decision-making capabilities. By adding smart tail structures to therapeutic proteins, the team demonstrated that the proteins could be “programmed” to act based on the presence of specific environmental cues.

October 8, 2025

‘Much-loved’ UW collaborator John Clarke wins the Nobel Prize in Physics

Leslie Rosenberg and Gray Rybka lower a large dark matter scanning device into the ground

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Tuesday awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis, “for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electric circuit.” Clarke, a professor emeritus of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, collaborates with the Axion Dark Matter Experiment at the University of Washington.

October 6, 2025

Q&A: What to know about the UW biology degree that launched Nobel Prize laureate Mary Brunkow

a micropipette in front of a shelf of glass jars

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute on Monday awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Mary E. Brunkow — an alum of the University of Washington — along with Frederick J. Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.” Brunkow received her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the UW in 1983. UW News spoke with Martha Bosma, professor and chair…

UW alum Mary E. Brunkow awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

A person sitting at a table reacting to something off camera

October 3, 2025

Discovery of organic compounds bolsters case that Saturn’s moon Enceladus could support life

A black and white photo showing the moon Enceladus. Bright jets of water erupt from the subsurface.

A new analysis of data from the Cassini space probe has identified organic compounds within jets of water ice erupting from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Some of the compounds, which likely originated in Enceladus’ subsurface ocean, have never before been identified on another world beyond Earth. The study, conducted in part by a UW researcher, contributes to mounting evidence that Enceladus could support life.

September 30, 2025

Q&A: How video games can lead people to more meaningful lives

UW researchers discuss their study which surveyed 166 gamers about how video games sparked meaningful changes in their lives.

September 29, 2025

UW announces Katherine and John Simpson deanship in the College of Arts & Sciences

Illustration of Katherine and John Simpson

The University of Washington announced a transformative gift that solidifies the importance and vitality of the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. It recognizes the legacy of former Dean John Simpson, his late wife Katherine, and the Simpson family by creating a namesake deanship for the College of Arts & Sciences. The Katherine and John Simpson Endowed Deanship in the College of Arts & Sciences provides flexible funding to promote interdisciplinary teaching and research across the College. These critical…

September 25, 2025

Q&A: Insect pollinators need more higher-quality habitats to help farmers, new research says

In a new study, a team of scientists determined the minimum natural habitat on agricultural land that will allow insect pollinators — including bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies and butterflies — to thrive. UW News reached out to co-author Berry Brosi, UW professor of biology, to learn more about these results and how habitat is important to two types of bees native to Washington.

After schools instituted universal free meals, fewer students had high blood pressure, UW study finds

Students move through a school lunch line. One places a slice of pizza on a tray.

Students schools that offered free meals to all students were less likely to have high blood pressure, suggesting that universal free meals might be a powerful tool for improving public health.

September 23, 2025

More bees please: 8 new-to-Washington species identified

Bee experts wouldn’t have previously expected to find the likes of Osmia cyaneonitens, Dufourea dilatipes and Stelis heronae in Washington. But this year, while collecting pollinators in Chelan County to study how climate and wildfires affect native bee populations, Autumn Maust, a University of Washington research scientist of biology, discovered eight bee species never recorded in Washington.

Longer body size means more female calves for baleen whale moms

Two whales, a mother and her calf, swim toward the surface of the ocean.

University of Washington researchers found, in historical whaling data, that longer baleen whale mothers were more likely to birth female calves than males. These results run contrary to a leading evolutionary theory that suggests that fit mothers will benefit more from male offspring.

September 22, 2025

Inconsistent charging stations hinder EV adoption

A row of white electric vehicles charge at a public charging station.

New research from the UW tested how much a car owner’s perception of public charger reliability influences their willingness to buy their first EV. The results were dramatic: Participants with a negative view of public charging were far less likely to choose an EV than those with a moderate view.

September 21, 2025

UW’s incoming classes welcomed by President Robert J. Jones at New Student Convocation

The University of Washington’s incoming classes were welcomed Sunday at the University’s 42nd annual New Student Convocation inside Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The ceremony was attended by thousands of students, family and friends. Welcome, Huskies! Thousands of incoming @uofwa.bsky.social students gathered for an annual 'W' formation today after kicking off the school year with a convocation ceremony. #newhuskies2025 #uwdawgdazeMedia assets: drive.google.com/drive/folder… — UW News (@uwnews.uw.edu) 2025-09-21T23:11:03.035Z For journalists Download ‘W’ timelapse, soundbites and B-roll from 2025 Convocation…

September 20, 2025

President Jones to welcome incoming class at New Student Convocation on Sunday

UW Convocation Ceremony inside Alaska Airlines Arena

The University of Washington’s incoming classes will be welcomed on Sunday by President Robert J. Jones at the University’s 42nd annual New Student Convocation inside Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The ceremony is expected to be attended by thousands of students, family and friends. Preliminary figures show the incoming freshman class will be about 7,175 students, with around 4,550 from Washington. An additional 1,650 transfer students are expected to arrive this fall, including 1,375 of whom will be…

September 19, 2025

Q&A: UW professor’s book explores how ‘technology is never culturally neutral’

In her new book, Katharina Reinecke explores how “digital culture shock” manifests in the world, in ways innocuous and sometimes harmful.

September 18, 2025

Community Notes help reduce the virality of false information on X, study finds

Icons for social media apps on a smartphone.

A University of Washington-led study of X found that posts with Community Notes attached were less prone to going viral and got less engagement. After getting a Community Note, on average, reposts dropped 46% and likes dropped 44%.

September 17, 2025

VIDEO: UW welcomes incoming students to on-campus housing

This week the University of Washington campus is once again buzzing with energy as students begin to move into the residence halls and participate in annual fall activities for incoming undergraduates. A majority of the UW freshman class has signed up to live on campus for Autumn 2025, and thousands of students are expected to move into campus housing this week, beginning on Tuesday, September 16. Move-in occurs at various locations on the University of Washington campus during the following…

University of Washington breaks ground on ASUW Shell House renovation

University of Washington President Robert J. Jones, author Daniel James Brown, and other members of the ASUW Shell House community gathered Wednesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at the historic building, which is undergoing final stages of adaptive reuse.

September 16, 2025

Q&A: From TVs to the future of computing, UW professor explains what makes quantum dots shine

Two white diamond shapes on a black background

Quantum dots, which are 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, are unique materials that generate very specific colors of light. Researchers, including Brandi Cossairt, UW professor of chemistry, hope that quantum dots can one day be useful for more than just illuminating TV screens. UW News asked her to compare the quantum dots in QLED TVs with the ones her lab makes.

Story pole celebrating Coast Salish peoples installed on UW campus

Photo of a story pole on a black background

Sven Haakanson, a University of Washington professor of anthropology, worked with three Coast Salish carvers to install a story pole on campus. Story poles were specifically created to share and teach Coast Salish legends, histories and stories.

September 15, 2025

ArtSci Roundup: September and October

Come curious. Leave inspired. We welcome you to connect with us this autumn quarter through an incredible lineup of more than 30 events, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. From thought-provoking talks on monsters to boundary-pushing performances by Grammy-nominated Mariachi ensembles, it’s a celebration of bold ideas and creative energy. ArtSci On Your Own Time Exhibition: Woven in Wool: Resilience in Coast Salish Weaving (Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture) Journey through the seasonal cycle of weaving, from gathering materials and…

Webb telescope finds clues to Earth’s creation in a cosmic butterfly

An image of the core of the Butterfly Nebula.

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details in the core of the Butterfly Nebula, known to astronomers as NGC 6302. From the dense ring of dust that surrounds the nebula’s core to the tiny but bright star hidden within, the Webb observations paint a never-before-seen portrait of the nebula’s inner workings. Researchers at the UW and around the world are studying the imagery to learn more about the origins of cosmic dust and its role in the formation of planets like ours.

UW School of Dentistry shows its commitment to service through free clinics across Washington state

ALT TEXT: Three dental professionals in scrubs examine a patient, who leans back on a reclining chair.

UW dental students, faculty members and community volunteers provide free care to communities across Washington, serving hundreds of patients each academic quarter.

September 12, 2025

Warming climate drives surge in dengue fever cases

A person uses a handheld device to spread anti-mosquito fog across a dark street. The thick fog fills the street.

Dengue fever incidence could rise as much as 76% by 2050 due to climate warming across a large swath of Asia and the Americas, according to a new study.

September 10, 2025

Q&A: Transparency in medical AI systems is vital, UW researchers say

Illustration of a doctor surrounded by technology symbols.

In a recent paper, University of Washington researchers argue that a key standard for deploying medical AI is transparency — that is, using various methods to clarify how a medical AI system arrives at its diagnoses and outputs.

Researchers find key to Antarctic ice loss blowing in the north wind

A large wall of ice sits atop the ice-covered surface of west Antarctica. Penguins walk across the surface of the sea ice.

Antarctic ice is melting at a startling pace, and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate projections. Researchers thought westerly winds were accelerating ice loss, but a new study from UW flips the narrative by 90 degrees, pointing instead to winds from the north.

September 8, 2025

Ocean warming puts vital marine microbe at risk

Sunset aboard the Thomas G. Thompson research vessel during a research cruise.

Prochlorococcus, the most abundant photosynthesizing organism in the ocean, might be more vulnerable to climate change than researchers thought. Population decline could weaken the foundation of subtropical and tropical ecosystems as ocean temperatures continue to rise.

September 4, 2025

This common fish has an uncommon feature: Forehead teeth, used for mating

An illustration of a fish with teeth in its mouth and teeth on the tip of a trunk-like structure protruding from its forehead.

New findings call into question one of the core assumptions about teeth. Adult male spotted ratfish, a shark-like species native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, have rows of teeth on top of their heads, lining a cartilaginous appendage called the tenaculum, in addition to those in their jaws. They used their tenaculum teeth to grip females while mating in water.

Deep beneath the French Alps, dark matter hunters narrow their search

A mountain in the Alps, a lake below, and the Milky Way galaxy visible in a starry sky above.

Physicists have floated numerous theories to explain what dark matter might be, but to date, no experiment has turned up compelling evidence to support any of them. An international team of physicists, including researchers from the UW, is now working on a new kind of dark matter detector with the goal of capturing the first direct observation of the puzzling material. Results from the detector’s prototype have already ruled out one of the leading theories of how dark matter originated.

August 27, 2025

New ad highlights national impact of Big Ten universities

The positive impact of Big Ten universities across the Pacific Northwest and around the nation will be highlighted in a new 30-second ad that will air during sporting events featuring conference members, starting with this week’s season-opening football games. The ad – entitled “We Are Here” – will air alongside the fan-favorite “Maps” spot. The new spot focuses on how the University of Washington and other Big Ten universities make America healthier, safer and more prosperous in a variety of…

Fund for Science and Technology invests in the UW College of the Environment to further innovation and research related to climate solutions

three researchers collecting specimens in a marsh

The University of Washington’s College of the Environment will expand its work related to climate solutions thanks to a grant announced today from Fund for Science and Technology, FFST, a new foundation within the Paul G. Allen philanthropic ecosystem.

August 26, 2025

Princeton Review: UW in top 10 of ‘Best Value Colleges’

Campus buildings with fountain and flowers in foreground

The University of Washington is one of the top 10 U.S. public universities as ranked by return on investment, according to The Princeton Review.

August 25, 2025

How oxygen made the deep ocean home to animals, spurring rapid evolution

an illustration of an larged jawed fish, reminiscent of early deep-ocean dwellers

New research shows that deep-ocean oxygenation occurred 100 million years later than previously thought, aligning with the growth and spread of land plants. Once oxygenated, the ocean hosted rapid animal evolution, leading to the rise of modern vertebrates.

This AI model simulates 1000 years of the current climate in just one day

Satellite image of the US showing a low pressure weather system hovering over the midwest and extending east. Exemplary of the simulations the model creates.

University of Washington researchers use AI to simulate the Earth’s current climate and interannual variability for up to 1,000 years. The model runs on a single processor and takes just 12 hours to generate a forecast.

August 21, 2025

Statement affirming University’s commitment to animal welfare following USDA inspection

The University of Washington is committed to upholding the highest standards of animal welfare and regulatory compliance in all of its research programs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) conducted an unannounced inspection of UW’s animal research program in July 2025 as part of its routine annual process and to follow up on an anonymous concern submitted to USDA alleging unfair treatment of a researcher by the UW Institutional Animal Care and Use…

August 19, 2025

Q&A: What can AI developers learn from climate activists

Climate related graphics hover over a laptop keyboard.

The goals of those developing AI systems for the climate and those working on the front lines of climate advocacy don’t necessarily align. To compare the two groups, UW researchers interviewed nine people who are developing AI for sustainability and 10 climate advocates.

UW research shows Fresh Bucks program improves fruit and vegetable intake, food security

Fruits and vegetables on a shelf at a grocery store

A new study from the University of Washington shows that households enrolled in the City of Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program experience a 31% higher rate of food security and consume at least three daily servings of fruits and vegetables 37% more often than those assigned to a program waitlist. Fresh Bucks, a $40 a month benefit, works with local partners to help residents access fresh food.

August 18, 2025

Q&A: How marginalized artists invented the Broadway musical

An image of Times Square at night with Broadway musical billboards, including Wicked.

A new book from David Armstrong, University of Washington affiliate instructor of drama, is an historical and cultural account of how the Broadway musical was predominantly created by people marginalized from mainstream society. The book, “Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical,” traces this history through four major eras.

August 14, 2025

New faculty books: Language instruction, the yoga of power, and more

Five book covers on a wooden table background

New faculty books from the University of Washington include those from Asian languages and literature, applied mathematics and the Jackson School of International Studies.