blog posts Higher mass transit use associated with lower obesity rates May 11, 2017 12:30 pm Healthy mass transit systems could contribute to healthier communities. A study at Illinois found higher mass transit use was correlated with lower obesity rates across the U.S. 1970s program attempted to diversify Illinois library school May 11, 2017 9:45 am The Carnegie Scholars was a group of 30 minority students admitted to the graduate library program in the early 1970s in an effort to increase the diversity of the program. Antibiotic breakthrough: Team overcomes gram-negative bacterial defenses May 10, 2017 12:00 pm Researchers have created a molecular Trojan horse that can penetrate gram-negative bacteria, a problem that had stalled development of new antibiotics against these increasingly drug-resistant microbes. New book gives voice to people who grew up in poverty in India May 10, 2017 9:30 am The end goal is to paint a fuller picture of people living in subsistence markets, and go beyond sympathy to “informed empathy.” Professor Madhu Viswanathan. Jeffrey Moore named director of the Beckman Institute May 9, 2017 2:45 pm “Jeff’s research expertise, administrative experience, and dedication to Illinois make him the perfect person to lead the Beckman Institute,” said Peter Schiffer, vice chancellor for research Researchers develop transistors that can switch between two stable energy states May 9, 2017 9:30 am Researchers developed an upgrade to the transistor laser that could boost computer processor speeds by forming two stable energy states and the ability to switch between them quickly Provenance exhibition shows challenges of tracing the path of ownership of artwork May 9, 2017 8:30 am Provenance of a historical object or work of art is important both to authenticate the object and to ensure that ownership is legal and the object was not looted. Computer-generated doctor explains test results to patients May 8, 2017 9:30 am A computer-generated physician, now under development, explains diabetes and cholesterol test results to would-be patients in videos designed for viewing on electronic medical record portals. Modified soybeans yield more in future climate conditions May 4, 2017 9:15 am This research is one step in the right direction towards trying to figure out a way of mitigating those temperature-related yield losses that will likely occur even with rising carbon dioxide concentrations.” Historian wants readers to experience the Russian Revolution May 3, 2017 1:30 pm U. of I. history professor Mark Steinberg’s new book on the Russian Revolution, marking its centennial this year, focuses on how people made sense of history as it unfolded in their own lives. Report: Even in death, indigenous border crossers marginalized May 3, 2017 9:30 am Anthropology professor Cris Hughes and her colleagues found that people who died crossing the border into Arizona were less likely to be identified if they had more indigenous ancestry. Anemonefish dads further fathering research May 3, 2017 9:15 am Male anemonefish are the primary caregivers in the nest. A new study examines how hormones influence their commitment to fathering. Four Illinois professors elected to National Academy of Sciences May 2, 2017 8:00 pm John Cronan, Jeffrey Moore, Donald Ort and Gary Parker are among 84 new members and 21 foreign associates announced by the Academy on May 2. Study offers new insight into powerful inflammatory regulator May 2, 2017 8:45 am The study is the first to show that the protein Brd4, while problematic in some circumstances, also can protect the body from infection. Graybar opens innovation lab at U of I Research Park May 1, 2017 12:00 pm 'The Graybar Innovation Lab will accelerate our digital transformation by combining leading-edge technology with fresh ideas from the University of Illinois’ students and faculty.' Illinois team discovers a new invasive clam in the U.S. May 1, 2017 9:45 am The new invader is likely not good news for native clams or the river ecosystem as a whole, the researchers said. Study: Support on social media decreases students' test anxiety Apr 28, 2017 9:45 am Reading supportive comments, “likes” and private messages from social media friends prior to taking a test may help college students who have high levels of test-anxiety significantly reduce their nervousness and improve their scores, a new study suggests. Brain tissue structure could explain link between fitness and memory Apr 28, 2017 9:45 am A new study by University of Illinois researchers found that the key may lie in the microstructure of the hippocampus, a region in the middle of the brain involved in memory processes. Research at Illinois: Life-saving chemical detection becoming a possibility Apr 27, 2017 9:45 am Postdoctoral researcher Mohammad Amdad Ali says directed molecular transport could be the answer to both finding low-levels of chemical warfare agents and detecting early-stage diseases. Engineers shine light on deadly landslide Apr 26, 2017 2:00 pm A new report details the factors leading to the deadliest landslide in the continental U.S., as well as how to mitigate landslide consequences in the future. New scientific technique predicts a climate change scenario in national parks Apr 24, 2017 10:45 am 'We hope that these methods will be a useful tool for guiding management in the face of an uncertain and changing climate.' Grass fed? No antibiotics? Certified organic? What's most important to consumers? Apr 19, 2017 3:15 pm 'The biggest surprise in the study is that ‘no growth hormones’ is the number one concern consumers have across the board on all of these products.' Illinois religion professor awarded Guggenheim Fellowship Apr 14, 2017 11:00 am Jonathan Ebel will use his fellowship tenure to complete work on a religious history of the Great Depression and the New Deal in agricultural California. Study links brain structure, anxiety and negative bias in healthy adults Apr 14, 2017 10:15 am U. of I. psychology professor Sanda Dolcos and graduate student Yifan Hu found brain differences among healthy college students that are linked to their risk of anxiety and negative bias. Nanopores could map small changes in DNA that signal big shifts in cancer Apr 12, 2017 10:00 am Illinois researchers developed a method to detect and map DNA methylation, which can be a sign of cancer Study of sleep apps finds room for improvement Apr 12, 2017 8:00 am An analysis of phone-based sleep apps finds that while most help users set sleep-related goals, track, sleep, few make use of other methods known to help Tackling a mysterious disease afflicting snakes Apr 11, 2017 9:15 am “Before this, nobody had nebulized a snake. When I told my veterinary colleagues...what I was planning, they said, ‘That’s never going to work.’” Hidden pharmaceutical treasure discovered in 'silent' genes Apr 10, 2017 8:45 am “...once whole bacterial genomes were sequenced, we realized that we have only discovered a small fraction of the natural products coded in the genome." History professor awarded prestigious ACLS fellowship Apr 5, 2017 11:00 am Illinois professor Erik S. McDuffie is the recipient of a 2017 fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies, the second fellowship he's received this academic year. Scientists engineer sugarcane to produce biodiesel Apr 5, 2017 8:30 am A multi-institutional team led by the University of Illinois have proven sugarcane can be genetically engineered to produce oil in its leaves and stems for biodiesel production Study reveals 10,000 years of genetic continuity in northwest North America Apr 4, 2017 1:30 pm “Our analysis suggests that this is the same population living in this part of the world over time, so we have genetic continuity from 10,000 years ago to the present,” said anthropology professor Ripan Malhi Paper: Experienced auditors better at fraud detection after a simple cue Apr 4, 2017 8:30 am "We think that very experienced auditors subconsciously try to avoid false positives, which is why they may need a little encouragement to detect deception," Newly characterized protein has potential to save U.S. farmers millions annually Mar 30, 2017 3:45 pm "We could feed around 200 million people with the calories lost to photorespiration each year just in the Midwestern United States,” said co-author Berkley Walker Answering the biggest questions: ‘Where did everything come from?’ and ‘Are we alone?’ Mar 28, 2017 10:45 am According to Dr. Felipe Menanteau, all of human learning is driven by these two fundamental questions. Architecture professor’s book examines the biases in design of products and places Mar 28, 2017 10:30 am Book by professor Kathryn Anthony looks at both bad and good examples of design and suggests ways for consumers to demand better designs for products and places. Farming becoming riskier under climate change Mar 27, 2017 10:45 am Due to climate change, the Illinois corn planting window will be split in two to avoid wet conditions in April and May. Illinois coast to get a complete physical checkup - from a helicopter Mar 22, 2017 8:15 am Lake Michigan sand deposits from Kenosha, WI to Chicago are being mapped with technology never before deployed for mapping the bottom of the Great Lakes. Tailored sexual health messages urgently needed for young female tourists Mar 21, 2017 9:30 am There’s an urgent need for sexual health campaigns that are tailored to young women’s motivations for taking sexual risks while traveling, a new study suggests. Team nebulizes aphids to knock down gene expression Mar 20, 2017 8:00 am The new method of delivering “interfering RNA” in a mist will likely speed the process of discovering the function of many mystery genes in insects Why do we lose muscle as we age? Mar 16, 2017 10:00 am The good news is that Beckman researcher Marni Boppart is on the job, examining why muscle loss occurs and looking for ways to rejuvenate muscle. Robotic arm gives architecture students more fabrication options Mar 15, 2017 3:30 pm The School of Architecture has a new fabrication tool for students to use in building objects they’ve designed. Study links sulfide-producing bacteria and colon cancer in African-Americans Mar 15, 2017 9:30 am A new study reveals that African-Americans have measurable differences in the number and type of bacteria that live in the colon – and those differences are related to their higher-than-average colon cancer risk. Study: Medicare prescription drug benefit reduced elderly mortality by more than 2% Mar 9, 2017 11:15 am A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois expert in health care economics provides the first evidence that the increase in drug utilization attributable to Medicare Part D saved lives. This website is watching you. Are you OK with that? Mar 3, 2017 11:45 am A web-based art project can show the current physical location of visitors to the online site, sometimes with uncanny accuracy. Creepy or cool? Postdoc examines effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy Mar 3, 2017 10:45 am Beckman Institute postdoc Gillian Hamilton hopes to further explore other treatment options for fetal alcohol exposure. Hand-picked specialty crops ‘ripe’ for precision agriculture techniques Mar 2, 2017 10:45 am “A hundred acres of corn may have a value of just $800,000, while the same number of acres planted in strawberries may be worth $7.5 million. Yet, strawberry harvesters use little to no precision agriculture techniques..." MLB HOF launches Latino baseball website with Illinois historian as editor-in-chief Mar 1, 2017 10:15 am Professor Adrian Burgos said the new media platform was created “to showcase the passion, purpose and spirit that drive the stories of Latinos and baseball.” App Authors gives elementary students programming experience Feb 28, 2017 11:15 am Through an after-school program called App Authors, elementary students are trying their hands at software design - gaining experience in coding and learning to work as a team to solve problems. Greater prairie chickens cannot persist in Illinois without help Feb 27, 2017 8:00 am An iconic bird whose booming mating calls once reverberated across “the Prairie State” can survive in Illinois with the help of periodic human interventions, researchers report. Start-up aims to bring high-speed wireless communications to the subsea industry Feb 24, 2017 8:15 am OceanComm, a start-up founded by an Illinois alumnus and a professor in the Coordinated Sciences Lab, developing a new technology that uses ultrasound to wirelessly transmit data from the ocean floor.