blog posts Multistep self-assembly opens door to new reconfigurable materials Apr 18, 2019 1:30 pm Self-assembling synthetic materials come together when tiny, uniform building blocks interact and form a structure. However, nature lets materials like proteins of varying size and shape assemble, allowing for complex architectures that can handle multiple tasks. Team measures puncture performance of viper fangs Apr 17, 2019 8:30 am A team that studies how biological structures such as cactus spines and mantis shrimp appendages puncture living tissue has turned its attention to viper fangs. Smart antioxidant-containing polymer responds to body chemistry, environment Apr 16, 2019 12:30 pm 'We saw an opportunity here to develop a different kind of drug-delivery system that could sense the level of oxidant in a system and respond by administering antioxidant as needed.' Professor Hyunjoon Kong Low-calorie sweetener derived from lactose gets manufacturing boost from yeast Apr 15, 2019 3:45 pm Illinois researchers engineer a strain of yeast that can metabolize lactose, the sugar in dairy products, into tagatose, a natural sweetener with less than half the calories of table sugar. Study: Phenols in purple corn fight diabetes, obesity, inflammation in mouse cells Apr 15, 2019 11:15 am Illinois researchers have developed new hybrids of purple corn containing different combinations of phytochemicals that may fight obesity, inflammation and diabetes, a new study in mice indicates. Study: Microbes in humans swap genes, even across tissue boundaries Apr 11, 2019 8:45 am Bacteria in the human body are sharing genes with one another at a higher rate than is typically seen in nature, and some of those genes appear to be traveling from one part of the body to another. Heartland always a place of global connection, not isolation, author says Apr 10, 2019 12:00 pm A persistent heartland myth paints the rural Midwest as local, insular, isolationist. Illinois historian Kristin Hoganson dug into the history and found the myth is far from reality. Illinois contributes to EHT's capturing first-ever image of a black hole Apr 10, 2019 8:15 am U of I researchers contribute to paradigm-shifting observations of the gargantuanblack hole at the heart of distant galaxy Messier 87. Finalists make two-minute pitches for $10,000 in funds Apr 9, 2019 1:00 pm 20 finalists from Champaign County will pitch their ideas in a dolphin-tank style event. 10 will walk away with $10,000 in idea support. All will show great potential to improve human health. Tax incentives target poor neighborhoods but leave communities behind Apr 8, 2019 12:00 pm The lack of safeguards to protect poor communities in pro-gentrification incentives (such as the new federal 'opportunity zone' tax incentive) may actually be a feature of the policy. Brainstorm - then rest - is key to unlocking creativity Apr 5, 2019 11:00 am Research suggests that the key to creativity is to incentivize workers to brainstorm as many ideas as possible, and then step away for an 'incubation period' before returning to idea generation. Newly established ecological communities in Hawaii operate similarly to native ones Apr 4, 2019 2:15 pm 'These birds didn’t co-evolve with these plants. We think of specialization as a co-evolved trait that develops over millennia, but we are seeing it in...species that have only lived together for less than 100 years.' College leadership programs teach skills, but do students stay motivated to lead? Apr 4, 2019 11:15 am 'Are there things we can put into place to help students stay in the game of thinking intentionally about their leadership? If students can identify a mentor, that’s a positive factor in their continued growth.' Illinois history professor awarded ACLS Fellowship Apr 3, 2019 8:30 am llinois history professor Marsha Barrett specializes in the study of modern U.S. political and African American history. Her ACLS Fellowship will support work on a book about Nelson Rockefeller. Families spend half of their evening meal distracted by technology, tasks Apr 1, 2019 10:15 am The study also finds fathers’ presence at meals may have a positive impact – reducing the amount of time that young children are distracted and increasing mothers’ responsiveness to children’s eating behaviors. Counties with more trees and shrubs spend less on Medicare, study finds Apr 1, 2019 8:45 am The findings don't prove having more trees and shrubs directly lowers health care costs, but adds to a growing body of evidence linking green space to better health outcomes for those living nearby. Freshwater coastal erosion alters global carbon budget Mar 27, 2019 8:00 am Shoreline erosion can transform freshwater wetlands from carbon-storage pools to carbon sources. Wave action and high water levels sweep away soils, plants faster than nature can replace them. Invasive crayfish sabotages its own success, study says Mar 29, 2019 10:30 am For the Ecology study, Illinois' Eric Larson and colleagues analyzed population trends in 17 lakes from 1972 to 2017 and found that about half were experiencing population declines. The reason? Muck. Study suggests how, when to support military couples after homecoming Mar 25, 2019 10:15 am A study of more than 500 military couples in the months after a deployment suggests how and when to help with the transition. Study in mice examines impact of reused cooking oil on breast cancer progression Mar 21, 2019 3:30 pm Study finds the compounds in frying oils that are repeatedly reheated to high temperatures may trigger cell proliferation and metastases in breast tumors. Review finds cause-effect relationship for nature's boost to children’s learning Mar 12, 2019 9:30 am Study leader says she expected a critical review to lead to more questions than answers, but all signs pointed to the same outcome: 'It's time to take nature seriously as a resource for learning.' The problem of parity Mar 19, 2019 1:00 pm An Illinois study finds gender equality in some workplaces may never occur—without intervention. $5 million grant extends Crops in Silico project Mar 15, 2019 1:30 pm The grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research will allow the project to continue building a computational platform that integrates multiple models to study a whole plant virtually. Explaining the Great Unconformity Mar 14, 2019 10:00 am What happened to 1.2 billion years of history? Illinois geologist William Guenthner digs for answers. Free fatty acids appear to rewire cells to promote obesity-related breast cancer Mar 13, 2019 2:45 pm Free fatty acids in the blood are linked with higher rates of estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer in obese postmenopausal women. Potential cystic fibrosis treatment uses 'molecular prosthetic' Mar 13, 2019 2:15 pm 'We use a small molecule surrogate that can perform the channel function of the missing protein (in cystic fibrosis patients), which we call a molecular prosthetic,' said study leader Martin Burke Mutations in noncoding genes could play big role in regulating cancer, study finds Mar 12, 2019 2:00 pm Professor Kannanganattu Prasanth led a team that found that certain genes that don’t code for proteins could play an important regulatory role in breast cancer. Imagine: Using wearable technology to study gun violence in Chicago Mar 11, 2019 10:15 am Professor Ruby Mendenhall is using big data to look into the lives of twelve African-American mothers in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Scholar: 'The Wire' accurately depicted how public schools help vulnerable students Mar 11, 2019 10:15 am What HBO's popular TV show got right and wrong in its depiction of how a large, urban public school functions in a community. Study: Impact of food waste campaigns muted, but point toward right direction Mar 8, 2019 9:45 am New research indicates that the impact of a food waste-education campaign produced a modest reduction in the average waste per diner in an all-you-can-eat dining setting. Pediatric onset multiple sclerosis study examines baffling, often-overlooked disease Mar 7, 2019 1:15 pm Children often present with very different symptoms than adults, such as vision changes and memory and attention deficits, complicating diagnosis. Study: Messages of stewardship affect Christians' attitudes about climate change Mar 6, 2019 1:15 pm An Illinois grad student's study finds reading articles from trusted religious sources advocating care of the Earth can affect Christians’ attitudes about climate change. Giant sloth tooth in Belize tells story of creature’s last year Feb 27, 2019 2:45 pm Anthropology professor Lisa Lucero and colleagues discovered the remains of an extinct giant sloth. An analysis of the sloth tooth offers insight into the climate and environment of the region 27,000 years ago. Study: Countering stereotypes about teens can change their behavior Feb 27, 2019 12:00 pm Many societies stereotype teens as rebellious risk-takers. This study challenges these stereotypes with a view of adolescence as a time of increasing responsibility, tracks how middle school students respond. Toxic byproducts of Agent Orange continue to pollute Vietnam environment Feb 27, 2019 12:15 pm '...dioxin continues to affect soils, water, sediment, fish, aquatic species, the food supply, and Vietnamese health,' says Illinois professor Ken Olson Fed legalization of same-sex marriage improved life satisfaction, cut emotional distress Feb 26, 2019 9:00 am Accounting for a varying social climate toward LGBTQ people across communities, researchers found psychological distress dropped, and life satisfaction increased after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Paper: Carbon taxes could create new winners and losers among countries Feb 26, 2019 9:00 am A global carbon tax would create new sets of economic winners and losers, with some countries holding a distinct competitive advantage over others, says Professor Don Fullerton. Mouse study reveals how chronic stress promotes breast cancer stem cells Feb 19, 2019 2:45 pm This is one of the first studies to link chronic stress specifically with the growth of breast cancer stem cells. It also identifies vitamin C as effective therapy to reduce tumors. Two Illinois professors named Sloan Research Fellows Feb 19, 2019 12:15 pm Engineering professors Haitham Al-Hassanieh and Diwakar Shukla received the awards that 'honor early career scholars whose achievements mark them as among the most promising researchers in their fields.' Parents feeling pressured by economy favor harsher parenting practices Feb 18, 2019 9:15 am Parents feeling pressured by economic insecurity, income inequality more likely to agree that 'a good hard spanking' is sometimes necessary for children, Social Work professor William Schneider found Learning ‘tuck-and-roll’ could help older adults reduce fall injuries Feb 15, 2019 8:00 am Study participants who were taught the tuck-and-roll strategy experienced a 33% reduction in hip impact force and a significant reduction in head impact. Future of US citrus may hinge on consumer acceptance of genetically modified food Feb 15, 2019 4:45 am The battle to save the citrus industry is pitting crop producers and a team of agriculture researchers against a formidable brown bug, the Asian citrus psyllid, which spreads the disease. Study: Targeting multiple life stages may be necessary for deer tick control Feb 15, 2019 9:45 am For researchers studying the dynamics of Lyme disease, understanding host-tick interactions could reveal weak spots that may leave ticks vulnerable to control. Developing a flight strategy to land heavier vehicles on Mars Feb 12, 2019 4:30 am To send more ambitious robotic missions to the surface of Mars, and eventually humans, we need to figure out how to land more mass than current systems allow How ground shipping will affect future human health, environment Feb 11, 2019 5:00 pm Researchers used a 'system of systems' approach to model how higher volumes of shipping, mode of transport, population density and environmental policies will affect future impacts of land freight Study of Arctic fishes reveals the birth of a gene – from ‘junk’ Feb 11, 2019 3:15 pm Animal biology professor Christina Cheng and her colleagues determined how the gene for an antifreeze protein in Arctic fish evolved from noncoding DNA Experts call for national research integrity advisory board Feb 11, 2019 10:30 am It’s been proposed before, but so far no one has heeded the call for an official advisory board to support ethical behavior in research institutions Phthalates may impair fertility in female mice Feb 11, 2019 5:15 pm The new findings add to a growing body of research that links phthalates, also called plasticizers, with various reproductive abnormalities and other health problems in rodents A new partnership for the bees Feb 10, 2019 1:30 pm Anheuser-Busch has pledged $5,000 to The Healthy Bee Fund at Illinois. In addition, the company will donate $1 to the fund for every case sold of b, a new alcoholic honey beverage Advertising prof taps NCSA resources to imagine future of advertising Feb 4, 2019 10:00 am Joseph Yun has big ideas for changing the way we understand advertising, research, and consumer behavior in the era of big data and social media