R&D In Brief

Taste test

In a study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, U.Va. Health System researchers reported that two interacting genes related to bitter taste

Setting the Biological Clock

Study shows eye cells help regulate our wake and sleep cycles

A switching mechanism in the eye plays a key role in regulating the sleep and wake cycles in mammals, U.Va. biologists have found.

Light receptor cells

Breaking the Law and Battling Demons

U.Va. engineers aim to solve burning computer problem

“Laptops are very hot now, so hot that they are not ‘lap’ tops anymore,” says Avik Ghosh, a U.Va. assistant professor of engineering. He’s referring to the

Elephant Speak

What the 2004 tsunami can tell us about animal communications

The Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake resulted in a human death toll of a quarter million people, but few animals perished. Drawing on his pioneering research about elephant behavior, Michael Garstang, an emeritus professor of environmental sciences at U.Va., is on the hunt to find out why.

The Power of Normal

U.Va. changing misperceptions, behavior with social norms campaign

All U.Va. students are heavy drinkers, right? Wrong. The National Social Norms Institute at U.Va. addresses common misperceptions.

A Bug Before a Bang

Glitch doesn't diminish proton collider's promise

Though the launch of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator was marked by a ding instead of a bang, the Large Hadron Collider still holds the promise of unlocking secrets about the essence of matter and insights into the Big Bang.

A Balm for Burns

Inventor receives award for gel

Burn victims suffer a unique agony. The pain of their injury is compounded by the rigorous cleansing required to ward off infection, a common and often fatal complication.

R&D In Brief

Brain cancer breakthrough Recurrent brain cancer can be helped by a new combination of drug therapies, according to researchers including David Schiff, co-director of the U.Va. Neuro-Oncology Center,

Tapping Into the Brain

Device allows people to communicate with their minds

Imagine being able to think, taste, touch and feel, but being completely unable to move or communicate. “Locked-in syndrome” is the fate of people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease,

Lost Flower Power

Findings may explain current pollination crisis

Air pollution is destroying the fragrance of flowers and inhibiting the ability of bees and other insects to follow scent trails to their source, according to a recent study

Post-Combat Care

Plastic surgery procedure has new applications

A surgery long popular for cosmetic purposes may also help soldiers when they come off the battlefield.

Adam Katz, a plastic surgeon and researcher in the U

Deep-Rooted Politics

Clues about what makes us red or blue

Where we fall on the political spectrum may be more than the result of rational thought. Political ideologies appear to fit with certain “psychological needs,” according to research by

What Makes Snakes Scary?

Fear seems innate

Adults and children alike seem to have an innate visual ability to detect snakes and spiders, according to research by two University psychologists. Professor Judy DeLoache—who happens to

Hacked

Student uncovers far-reaching security threat

A trio of hackers led by a University doctoral student in computer engineering has cracked the security code of a popular smart card that uses radio-frequency identification, or RFID.<

Thirst for Knowledge

Students' drinking water project wins award

When more than a billion people lack clean drinking water, the efforts of two U.Va. students might seem like a drop in the bucket.