Research

July 27, 2012

Seattle researchers to engineer kidney tissue chip for predicting drug safety

Seattle researchers will be part of the new federal initiative to engineer 3-dimensional chips containing living cells and tissues that imitate the structure and function of human organs. These tissue chips will be used for drug safety testing. Tissue chips merge techniques from the computer industry with those from bioengineering by combining miniature models of living organ tissues onto a transparent microchip. Ranging in size from a coin to a house key, the chips are lined with living cells and…

July 26, 2012

Chemical makes blind mice see

A chemical that temporarily restores some vision to blind mice has been discovered. Its discoverers are working on an improved compound that may someday allow people with degenerative blindness to see again. Read the paper in Neuron News release on earlier study A team of UW Medicine researchers, in collaboration with scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Munich, conducted the study. Their findings appear in the July 26th issue of the journal Neuron. The approach could eventually help those with…

July 23, 2012

President Obama honors UW biologist

Jay Z. Parrish, University of Washington assistant professor of biology, has been named a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

July 18, 2012

UW names DeLuca director of School of Environmental and Forest Sciences

A soils and ecosystem scientist who studies natural resources sustainability has been named the director of the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Thomas H. DeLuca is currently professor of natural resources and geography at Bangor University, Wales, where he holds the chair in environmental sciences sponsored jointly by the university and the U.K.’s National Environmental Research Council. “We couldn’t be happier that Tom will join us to lead the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Tom…

July 16, 2012

UW study plays pivotal role in todays FDA approval of HIV prevention drug

In evaluating whether to allow Truvada® to be prescribed for HIV prevention the FDA reviewed evidence from two studies. The largest was conducted by the UWs International Clinical Research Center.

July 11, 2012

Groundbreaking research paves way for HIV prevention drug approval

The UW International Clinical Research Center played a key role in examining Truvada’s effectiveness for HIV prevention. The center’s director Connie Celum talks about the impact of the findings in a Q & A.

Got milk? Climate change means stressed cows in southern U.S. may have less

UW researchers found that the decline in milk production due to climate change will vary across the U.S., since there are significant differences in humidity and how much the temperature swings between night and day across the country.

July 9, 2012

NIH award advances Institute of Translational Health Sciences groundbreaking work

ITHS helps scientists accelerate the translation of their discoveries into applications for improving the health of the public. The latest award is for $65 million.

July 6, 2012

UW physicists played significant role in discovery of Higgs boson

As scientists around the world celebrated the detection of what appears to be the long-sought Higgs boson, University of Washington physicists took satisfaction in knowing they played a significant part in it.

July 5, 2012

Eddies, not sunlight, spur annual bloom of tiny plants in North Atlantic

Researchers have long believed that the longer days and calmer seas of spring set off an annual bloom of plants in the North Atlantic, but UW scientists discovered that warm eddies fuel the growth three weeks before the sun does.

June 28, 2012

New hires catapult UW's expertise in machine learning and 'big data'

Four incoming faculty members promise to make the University of Washington a leading institution in machine learning and the science of “big data.”

Chromosome Painting: Discovering beauty in DNA

Science and art intersect in an exhibit at the Kirkland Arts Center through July 6.

Plasma startup creates high-energy light to make smaller microchips

In one of the twists of scientific discovery, a UW duo working on fusion energy — harnessing the energy-generating mechanism of the sun — may have found a way to etch the next generation of microchips.

June 26, 2012

UW deploying seismic sensors in hope of getting to bottom of Spokane quakes

It’s been a decade since a swarm of relatively mild earthquakes shook up parts of Spokane. Now, armed with the right tools, scientists want to find out what was at fault.

Research suggests denser development is good for single-family home values

Research shows that, contrary to popular belief, theres a positive association between higher neighborhood density and the value of single-family residential properties.

June 21, 2012

Astronomers spy two planets in tight quarters as they orbit a distant star

A research team led by the University of Washington and Harvard University has discovered a bigger version of Earth locked in an orbital tug-of-war with a much larger, Neptune-sized planet as they orbit very close to each other around the same star.

Sediment core shows Arctic has gone through intense warm periods

New research from an international team that includes a UW professor emeritus confirms that the Arctic has gone through intensely warm periods, warmer than scientists thought was possible, during the last 2.8 million years.

June 20, 2012

From the mouths of monkeys: New technique detects TB

Tuberculosis can be a serious threat to monkeys and apes. A test to spot infection might help protect the world’s primate populations.

June 13, 2012

Mindful multitasking: Meditation first can calm stress, aid concentration

Need to do some serious multitasking? Some training in meditation beforehand could make the work smoother and less stressful, new research from the UW Information School shows.

June 11, 2012

New research to help scientists better predict underwater volcanic eruptions

Axial Seamount, an undersea volcano, gave warning signals hours before its eruption, scientists say in three papers published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Offspring of older fathers may live longer

Study suggests life-extending benefits of longer telomeres if recent male ancestors reproduced at older ages.

June 7, 2012

New twist on old chemical process could boost energy efficiency

An unappreciated aspect of chemical reactions on the surface of metal oxides could be key in developing more efficient energy systems, including more productive solar cells or hydrogen fuel cells efficient enough for automobiles.

June 6, 2012

Too few salmon is far worse than too many boats for killer whales – with slide show

Not having enough Chinook salmon to eat stresses out southern resident killer whales more than having boatloads of whale watchers nearby, according to hormone levels of whales summering in the Salish Sea. In lean times, however, the stress normally associated with boats becomes more pronounced, further underscoring the importance of having enough prey.

Babys genome deciphered prenatally from parents lab tests

A maternal blood sample and a paternal saliva specimen contained enough information to map the fetus DNA.

June 4, 2012

Nuclear and coal-fired electrical plants vulnerable to climate change

In a study published this week in Nature Climate Change, University of Washington and European scientists project that in the next 50 years global climate change will disrupt power generation in the U.S. and Europe. Warmer water and lower flows are predicted to interrupt the supply of cooling water.

June 1, 2012

Computer-designed proteins programmed to disarm a variety of flu viruses

Construction plans for tiny molecules to stop flu viruses from infecting cells may help in fighting other pathogens.

May 30, 2012

Landslides linked to plate tectonics create the steepest mountain terrain

New research shows some of the steepest mountain slopes in the world got that way because of the interplay between terrain uplift associated with plate tectonics and powerful streams cutting into hillsides, leading to large landslides.

May 29, 2012

Mathematicians can conjure matter waves inside an invisible hat

Mathematician Gunther Uhlmann and colleagues have devised an amplifier to boost light, sound or other waves while hiding them inside an invisible container. The findings are published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

May 28, 2012

Engineered microvessels provide a 3-D test bed for human diseases

Bioengineers have developed the first structure to grow small human blood vessels, creating a 3-D test bed that offers a better way to study disease, test drugs and perhaps someday grow human tissues for transplant.

May 25, 2012

It's in the genes: Research pinpoints how plants know when to flower

Scientists believe they’ve pinpointed the last crucial piece of the 80-year-old puzzle of how plants “know” when to flower. Understanding how flowering works in a simple plant should lead to a better understanding of how the same genes work in more complex plants such as rice and wheat.

May 24, 2012

Academic-industry partnership forms for drug development

The School of Pharmacy and pharmaceutical companies will study the body’s drug transporters to map interactions and individualize therapy.

May 22, 2012

Long-distance training teaches proper technique for asthma test

The virtual teaching of health professionals translates to better asthma care for patients.

May 17, 2012

Slew of rare DNA changes following population explosion holds clues to common diseases

Scientists try to find which single-letter switches in the genetic code influence health risks.

May 15, 2012

How public should public records be? Increased availability sparks privacy concerns

Online technology has increased access to public records such as political campaign contributions and real estate transactions. But that information availability also sparks privacy concerns and may dampen some people’s willingness to engage in public activities, according to recent research.

Nearly 1,000 projects to be presented at Undergraduate Research Symposium

The largest Undergraduate Research Symposium in University of Washington history runs from noon to 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 18, primarily in Mary Gates Hall.

Insulin nasal spray therapy shows memory improvement in Alzheimers patients

A year-long, multi-site clinical trial of insulin nasal spray has been called a significant step forward in measuring the safety and effectiveness of a promising treatment.

May 14, 2012

Nearly one-tenth of hemisphere’s mammals unlikely to outrun climate change

A safe haven could be out of reach for 9 percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals, and as much as 40 percent in certain regions, because the animals just won’t move swiftly enough to outpace climate change, according to new research from the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.