Research
September 28, 2011
NW biofuels coming of age with $80 million in separate projects led by UW, WSU
The University of Washington and Washington State University are leads for two separate grants of $40 million each that will use Pacific Northwest woody biomass to expand whats been a Midwest-centric biofuels industry into Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and northern California.
September 26, 2011
Returning genetic results to study participants will be addressed nationally
Holly Tabor, a UW and Seattle Children’s bioethics scholar, is among the experts in law, medicine and ethics to receive a NIH grant Sept. 26 to look at if, when and how the results of genome studies should be told to research participants.
Dieter Fox to co-lead new Intel Science and Technology Center
UW computer scientist Dieter Fox will co-lead an Intel Science and Technology Center that will focus on “pervasive” computing, which aims to incorporate computing and sensing into everyday devices and environments.
September 22, 2011
Model provides successful seasonal forecast for the fate of Arctic sea ice
Relatively accurate predictions for summer sea ice extent in the Arctic can be made the previous autumn, but forecasting more than five years into the future requires understanding of the impact of climate trends on the ice pack.
September 21, 2011
33 percent drop in physical bullying in schools using Steps to Respect
Schools using Steps to Respect saw a reduction in physical bullying and in the number of teachers reporting fighting as a big problem, according to a new study from researchers in the UW School of Social Work.
September 20, 2011
Proton-based transistor could let machines communicate with living things
Materials scientists at the University of Washington have built a novel transistor that uses protons, creating a key piece for devices that can communicate directly with living things.
September 19, 2011
Gamers succeed where scientists fail
The structure of a retrovirus enzyme had stumped scientists for more than a decade. With the game Foldit, players quickly made an accurate model of the enzyme. The model opens doors to AIDS drug design.
September 14, 2011
Salmon and other fish predators rely on ‘no guts, no glory survival tactic
The phrase “no guts, no glory” doesnt just apply to athletes who are striving to excel. Salmon and other fish predators take the adage literally.
Katze lab signs contract with Revalesio to study novel approaches to viral diseases
Revalesio, a pioneering biotechnology company based in Tacoma, recently signed an 18-month contract with the Katze lab at the University of Washington to bring hope to sufferers of influenza, HIV and hepatitis C.
Study tests intranasal insulin therapy for adults with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer’s patients have reduced insulin levels in their brains. An insulin nasal spray improved cognitive function in these patients in a pilot study. Intranasal delivery reaches the brain faster than other methods.
September 13, 2011
Census estimates show increase in U.S. poverty but not in Washington state
Preliminary data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today show that the poverty rate for the U.S. increased from 14.3 percent to 15.1 percent from 2009 to 2010. However, the rate in Washington State remained essentially unchanged at 11.5 percent, or 774,000 residents.
September 12, 2011
New study quantifies use of social media in Arab Spring
After analyzing more than 3 million tweets, gigabytes of YouTube content and thousands of blog posts, a new study finds that social media played a central role in shaping political debates in the Arab Spring.
Findings on blood pressure and heart disease genetic risk include UW research contributions
An international consortium has identified 28 blood-pressure influencing regions on the human genome. UW scientists played key roles in analyzing the massive amounts of data collected for the study.
September 6, 2011
Gene defect that predisposes people to leukemia discovered
Those at risk of acute myeloid leukemia because of family history may soon obtain tests to detect the genetic error before symptoms emerge. Clinical trials are under way to learn the best way to monitor and treat people with the GATA2 mutation.
August 31, 2011
UW anthropologist explores Seattles Dumpster diving community – with video
A UW anthropology graduate student is studying the economics of food production, food waste and how social networks of Dumpster divers can help provide food for those in need.
Registration still open for conference on integrity in conduct of research
Registration continues for the upcoming conference Ethical Considerations in Research Collaboration, which will be held Sept 22 and 23 in Meany Hall.
August 29, 2011
Bilingual babies vocabulary linked to early brain differentiation
Researchers at UWs Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences are investigating the brain mechanisms that contribute to infants prowess at learning languages, with the hope that the findings could boost bilingualism in adults, too.
August 25, 2011
Ocean acidification science, societal needs meld in new training program
Students already knowledgeable about the science behind ocean acidification and warming will learn more about the challenges those ocean changes pose for tribes, shellfish growers and other sectors of society – as well as helping seek solutions ¬– under a just-announced National Science Foundation grant of $3 million.
August 24, 2011
Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents
The researcher who used chemical sleuthing to uncover whats in scented products now has turned her attention to the air wafting from household laundry vents. Air from laundry machines using the top-selling scented liquid detergent and dryer sheet contains hazardous chemicals, including two that are classified as carcinogens.
August 22, 2011
UW joins national push to sequence human genome on the cheap
UW is one of eight institutions funded August 22 by the National Human Genome Research to revolutionize DNA sequencing. Jay Shendure, whose lab is noted for several breakthroughs in genomic technology, will head the UW project.
Less depression for working moms who expect that they ‘cant do it all
A UW sociologist reports less depression symptoms among working moms who expect that they will have to forego some aspects of their career or parenting to achieve a work-life balance.
August 17, 2011
Model shows polar ice caps can recover from warmer climate-induced melting
New UW research indicates that even if Earth warmed enough to melt all polar sea ice, the ice could recover if the planet cooled again.
A Seattle accent? Study looks at ‘perceptual dialectology — accents we think we have
“What people say about language has nothing to do with language,” says Betsy Evans, assistant professor of linguistics. “It has to do with what they believe about the people who use that language.” Shes started studying those beliefs in the Northwest.
August 16, 2011
Poverty rates the same as in mid-1960s, but far more kids are poor
Fewer seniors but more children are poor since the War on Poverty began more than 40 years ago. Also, despite persistent efforts in both the public and private sectors, poverty rates in the U.S. have remained stubbornly the same since the mid-1960s.
August 15, 2011
UW Medicine study finds caffeine guards against certain ultraviolet-induced skin cancers at molecular level
Caffeine guards against certain skin cancers at the molecular level, according to a study appearing online August 15, 2011, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Younger siblings of children with autism have one in five chance of autism diagnosis
Parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder face a 19 percent chance of having additional children diagnosed with the disorder, according to a new study co-authored by the UW Autism Center.
August 10, 2011
TB antibody detection tests fail to diagnose tuberculosis accurately
Misdiagnosis remains a major obstacle for control of the TB epidemic. Findings from UW and related studies prompt a World Health Organization policy asking health officials not to use these tests.
Decline in unions accounts for one-third of the growth in wage inequality among male, private sector workers
A new study co-authored by a UW sociologist shows that unions have as much a role as education level in equalizing earnings between low- and high-paid workers, and that balancing force influences pay for nonunion workers.
Greater flexibility with federal dollars would help state education agencies boost school improvement
State education agencies could do more to help their local school districts improve under-performing schools, according to a new study at the UWs Center on Reinventing Public Education.
August 9, 2011
Study of abalone spawning could have implications for human reproduction
A UW biologist is among scientists who for the first time have been able to study interactions between individual sperm and eggs of red abalone in conditions similar to its ocean surroundings, work that could have implications for improving fertilization in humans.
August 8, 2011
An abnormally warm decade is part of the new ‘normal’
On July 1, the 30-year average temperatures used to determine “normal” changed, dropping the decade of the 1970s and adding the decade of 2001 through 2010. As a result, normal temperatures are now a bit warmer.
August 4, 2011
Consumers who follow federal nutrition guidelines may have higher food costs, UW researchers say
If you try to eat healthier these days, and follow federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, its likely that youre eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. It also means that your grocery bill is increasing, according to University of Washington researchers from the Center for Public Health Nutrition.
August 3, 2011
Web search is ready for a shakeup, says UW computer scientist
On the 20-year anniversary of the World Wide Web, computer scientist Oren Etzioni has written a two-page commentary in the journal Nature that calls on the international academic and business communities to take a bolder approach when designing how people find information online.
August 2, 2011
Digital photos can animate a face so it ages and moves before your eyes
Computer scientists have created a way to take images from the web or personal photos collections and in seconds create an animation of a persons face. The tool can make a face appear to age over time, or gradually change the expression from a smile to a frown.
August 1, 2011
Did you think it was a cold spring? Now you have the proof
A University of Washington researcher has found that, at least by one measure, this spring was the coldest on record for the state and that Seattle’s last two springs have been the cloudiest since cloud-cover records started 50 years ago.
Kids anxiety, depression halved when parenting styled to personality
When it comes to rearing children, just about any parent will say that what works with one kid might not work with another. But which parenting styles work best with which kids? A study by UW psychologists provides advice about tailoring parenting to childrens personalities.
July 26, 2011
College-educated undocumented young adults face same narrow range of jobs as their parents
A new survey of life trajectories of 150 undocumented young adults raised and educated in America shows that they end up with the same labor jobs as their parents, working in construction, restaurants, cleaning and childcare services.
July 22, 2011
New target found for nitric oxide's attack on Salmonella bacteria
Nitric oxide, which is naturally produced in the nose and gut, disrupts the energy sources of many types of bacteria. Learning how it does this may lead to new antimicrobials or ways to promote the body’s own defenses against infection.
The cable has landed: Ocean science history in the making — with slideshow
Submarine cables for the nations first regional cabled ocean observatory, a project led by the University of Washington, made landfall last week on the Oregon coast.
July 20, 2011
Battle of the bugs: Pseudomonas breaches cell walls of rival bacteria without hurting itself
Microbiologists have uncovered a sneaky trick by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa to oust rivals. It deploys a toxin delivery machine to breach cell walls of competitors without hurting itself. Its means of attack helps it survive in the outside environment and may even help it cause infection.
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