An architectural rendering of Babcock Hall as it will look when the renovation and expansion are complete.
The prions were detected using a technique that amplifies the small amount of misfolded proteins isolated from soil or water samples. The prions are then added to a pool of properly folded proteins from mice engineered to produce them. The diseased folding state is transmitted to properly folded proteins, increasing the number of diseased prions and facilitating measurement. It is not clear whether the quantity of soil-dwelling prions detected in the current study are sufficient to infect deer. “Although we are able to detect prions, quantifying the amount present is still difficult using this technique,” says Pedersen. Previous research by the Pedersen lab has demonstrated that soil-bound prions are more effective than free prions at infecting hamsters. “It’s a great advance for trying to understand how this disease transmits in the environment,” says Rodrigo Morales, a professor of neurology and prion researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston who was not affiliated with the study. “It explains what could be the main source of (transmission).” Samuel says the significance of prion-contaminated environments in the spread and persistence of CWD among free-ranging deer remains unknown. “We know it can occur, but we just don’t know how it occurs in the wild, or how important it is relative to deer contacting each other,” says Samuel. Ten of the mineral lick sites tested in the study were artificial, and one was natural. Nine of the 11 sites were on private land and were tested with permission of the landowners. “We manage most diseases by trying to interrupt their spread; having CWD concentrated at animal licks means that’s going to be difficult,” says Don Waller, a professor of botany and environmental studies at UW–Madison who investigates Wisconsin’s deer herds. He was not involved in the study. “It’s not easy to test for CWD, but this result suggests we should be looking for hot spots of CWD prions in the environment and doing all we can to cover them up so animals can’t get to them,” Waller says. “We may also want to do more testing in other animal species to see which may be vulnerable to CWD infection.” —Eric Hamilton
Zimmerman Architectural Studios
A ‘WHEY’ BETTER BABCOCK The Babcock Hall renovation and expansion has begun! The major construction project, which broke ground in July 2018, will modernize the building’s dairy plant and augment the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) with a new three-story addition. When the dust clears in late 2020, the dairy plant will boast a new ice cream maker; more freezer and cooler space; an improved raw milk receiving bay; and new piping, pumps, and valves to more efficiently move milk and milk products around the plant. The CDR addition will occupy the space formerly filled by Science House (see page 6). It will include state-of-the-art space for research, instruction, and small-scale production that will allow the center to expand the product development services it offers to the state’s cheese industry. The facility’s new equipment will make it easier for CDR staff to work with companies developing all kinds of new dairybased foods. This includes alternative dairy products, such as whey, and fermented dairy products, such as specialty yogurts. Funding for the project, which will cost $47 million, comes from donors, the state of Wisconsin, and UW–Madison. The donors, who primarily represent the state’s cheese industry, raised more than $18 million. The project would not have been possible without them. Learn more about the Babcock Hall improvements at babcockhall.cals.wisc.edu. FALL 2018
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