blog posts For CRISPR, tweaking DNA fragments before inserting yields highest efficiency rates yet Jan 2, 2020 1:45 pm Illinois researchers achieved the highest reported rates of inserting genes into human cells with the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system, a necessary step for harnessing the technology for clinical gene-therapy applications. For First Nations peoples, effects of European contact are recorded in the genome Nov 15, 2016 10:30 am “This is the first genome-wide study – where we have population-level data, not just a few individuals – that spans 6,000 years,” said University of Illinois anthropology professor Ripan Malhi. Forget butterflies and bees, box like an ant Feb 10, 2016 11:45 am The trap-jaw ant species Odontomachus brunneus is the champion boxer, striking its opponents more than 41 times per second. Former Illinois football player studying athletic injuries Jan 27, 2016 9:15 am Former Illini football player Kevin Jackson, a senior research scientist at the Beckman Institute, concerns himself with athletes and athletic injuries. His current project is to figure out a way to more effectively treat head and neck injuries. For now, Illinois’ imperiled eastern massasauga rattlesnakes retain genetic diversity Aug 28, 2018 8:00 am A long-term study of these snakes reveals that – despite their alarming decline in numbers – they have retained a surprising amount of genetic diversity For nurses in Illinois, expectation of violence ‘a fundamental part of the job,’ study says May 7, 2018 2:15 pm A new report from a University of Illinois labor expert found that 90 percent of nurses surveyed in Illinois experienced violence on the job at least once during the past 12 months, with 50 percent experiencing it six times or more during that period. For sensation-seekers, the color red can elicit rebelliousness, study finds Aug 17, 2016 11:30 am The widespread use of the color red to signal danger can actually be counterproductive for certain people, says soon-to-be published research co-written by Ravi Mehta, a professor of business administration For stroke survivors, light physical activity linked to better daily function Apr 2, 2020 9:45 am Study reveals that stroke survivors who engaged in a lot of light physical activity – leisurely walks or nonstrenuous household chores, for example – reported fewer physical limitations than their more sedentary peers. Fostering gratitude reduces materialism, increases generosity in adolescents Nov 12, 2018 10:00 am Study shows encouraging gratitude decreases materialism and its attendant negative social consequences, and increases generosity toward others -- often in short supply in adolescents Four factors influence social media reach of public health tweets, study says Oct 30, 2018 11:15 am Fear-related language; longer messages; the lack of links to another website; and images – photos, videos or GIFs – were the strongest predictors of whether a public health message was retweeted 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. Four-story vertical wind tunnel installed within walls of Talbot Lab May 5, 2022 12:45 pm The wind tunnel that spans Talbott Lab’s four stories is the largest of its kind. It was designed to study turbulent flows laden with particles, but it also enables research on wall-bounded turbulence and heat transfer effects. Fracturing social networks among business elites empower shareholder activism Jun 12, 2017 10:00 am Activist investors have become increasingly successful in agitating for change in publicly held companies Fraternizing vampire bats share 'social microbiomes' Nov 16, 2021 8:45 am Study finds that the gut microbiomes of bats became more similar the more often they engaged in social behaviors with one another - such behaviors as huddling together for warmth or grooming themselves and their neighbors. 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. Frequent COVID-19 testing key to efficient, early detection, study finds Jun 30, 2021 9:30 am Study: The chance of detecting the COVID-19 virus increases with more frequent testing, no matter the type of test. Used every 3 days with rapid reporting, both polymerase chain reaction and antigen tests can achieve 98% sensitivity. 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. Friendlier fish may be quicker to take the bait Jul 16, 2018 10:45 am 'There’s a reason everyone’s first fish is bluegill. They are social fish... It seemed like their social behavior and their aggression would be super important in terms of angling vulnerability' From corn to flake: Health-promoting phenolic acids lost during processing Jul 10, 2018 11:45 am University of Illinois scientists reveal what happens to cancer-fighting phenolic acids in corn when it is processed into cornflakes Future drought will offset benefits of higher CO2 on soybean yields Sep 6, 2016 11:15 am Soybeans will suffer yield losses sooner than previously predicted under future conditions that combine elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide levels with drought. 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. GABA receptors in brain could be targets to treat depression, its cognitive symptoms Aug 3, 2023 10:30 am Treatments modulating the neurotransmitter GABA and its main receptors in the brain could help address both the affective and cognitive symptoms associated with depression, such as those Vincent Van Gogh is suspected to have suffered. Gender differences in vocational interests decrease with age Mar 27, 2018 1:30 pm Gender differences in vocational interests increase drastically during puberty but tend to decrease across the lifespan, a new study found. Gene expression altered by direction of forces acting on cell Sep 29, 2020 9:30 am Forces applied across the width of a cell pull at the support fibers like violin stings being plucked, Illinois engineering professor Ning Wang said. The fibers stretch the chromosomes in the cell and increase gene expression. Gene mapping reveals soy's dynamic, differing roles in breast cancer Apr 28, 2015 2:45 pm Scientists have mapped the human genes triggered by the phytonutrients in soy, revealing the complex role the legume plays in both preventing and advancing breast cancer. Gene mutation leads to epileptic encephalopathy symptoms, neuron death in mice Dec 20, 2021 8:00 am Mice with a genetic mutation that’s been observed in patients with epileptic encephalopathy exhibit not only the seizure, developmental and behavioral symptoms of the disorder, but also neural degeneration and inflammation in the brain. Gene Robinson Awarded 2018 Wolf Prize in Agriculture Mar 8, 2018 8:00 pm The director of Illinois' Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology was recognized for 'leading the genomics revolution in the organismal and population biology of the honey bee' Gene Robinson elected to National Academy of Medicine Oct 19, 2018 9:00 pm Illinois entomology professor Gene Robinson was elected to the National Academy of Medicine 'for pioneering contributions to understanding the roles of genes in social behavior' Genetic sequencing uncovers unexpected source of pathogens in floodwaters Dec 18, 2023 9:00 am Professor Helen Nguyen says this research shows that, 'Agricultural and human wastewater should not be the only source considered when designing mitigation plans to prevent the spread of pathogenic bacteria after hurricanes.' Genetic study shakes up the elephant family tree Jun 6, 2017 8:30 am A new study reconfigures the elephant family tree, placing a giant extinct elephant closer to the African forest elephant than to the Asian elephant, which was once thought to be its closest living relative Genome-editing proteins ride a DNA zip line Aug 16, 2016 12:30 pm University of Illinois researchers have found that one class of genome-editing proteins rapidly travels along a strand of DNA like a rider on a zip line – a unique behavior among documented DNA-binding proteins. Genome-editing proteins seek and find with a slide and a hop Jun 1, 2015 10:00 am University of Illinois researchers have observed how one set of genome-editing proteins finds its specific targets, which could help them design better gene therapies to treat disease. Genome-editing tool TALEN outperforms CRISPR-Cas9 in tightly packed DNA Jan 27, 2021 10:45 am A broader selection of genome-editing tools is needed to target all parts of the genome, said Professor Huimin Zhao. 'CRISPR is a very powerful tool that led to a revolution in genetic engineering, but it still has some limitations.' Genome mining effort finds 19 new natural products in four years Sep 8, 2015 11:15 am A technique called genome mining was used to isolate the genes responsible for making 19 unique, previously unknown phosphonate natural products - each a potential new drug. One of them has already been identified as an antibiotic. Genomic study explores evolution of gentle ‘killer bees’ in Puerto Rico Nov 16, 2017 9:15 am The new findings offer a bit of hope for the beleaguered beekeeping industry, the researchers said. Genomic study reveals evolutionary secrets of banyan tree Oct 8, 2020 10:00 am Researchers have identified regions in the banyan fig’s genome that promote the development of its unusual aerial roots and enhance its ability to signal its wasp pollinator. Genomic study ties insect evolution to the ability to detect airborne odors Aug 2, 2018 8:00 am Study from Illinois entomology professor Hugh Robertson and colleagues at UC Davis reveals that all insects have odorant receptors that enable them to detect airborne chemicals Genomics will require the biggest of Big Data, experts say Jul 7, 2015 2:00 pm As more people have their DNA sequenced, that data will require massive computational and storage capabilities beyond anything previously anticipated. Geographies of death: COVID health disparities in Greater Santiago Apr 27, 2021 9:00 am People up to age 40 living in economically depressed municipalities in the Greater Santiago, Chile, metropolitan area were three times more likely to die as a result of the infection than their counterparts in wealthier areas, researchers report. Geography, CEE professor wins creativity award for research on water Jul 15, 2018 1:45 pm Professor Murugesu Sivapalan recognized for launching a new scientific field, socio-hydrology, to examine the two-way interactions between people and water systems Geologic formation could hold clues to melting glacier floodwaters Dec 23, 2015 11:00 am Geologists investigating an unusual landform in southern Illinois expected to find seismic origins, but instead found the aftermath of rushing floodwaters from melting Midwestern glaciers after the last ice age. Geologic imaging technique measures strength of Earth’s outer shell Sep 29, 2016 3:45 pm An advanced imaging technique used to map Earth’s outer shell also can provide a measure of strength, finding weak spots and magma upwellings that could point to volcanic or earthquake activity, Geologists unlock mysteries of Earth's inner core Mar 12, 2015 6:15 am Thanks to a novel application of earthquake-reading technology, a research team at the University of Illinois and colleagues at Nanjing University in China have found that the Earth’s inner core has an inner core of its own, which has surprising properties that could reveal information about our planet. Read more here. Geology helps map kidney stone formation from tiny to troublesome May 25, 2021 2:00 pm Advanced microscope technology and cutting-edge geological science are giving new perspectives to an old medical mystery: How do kidney stones form, why are some people more susceptible to them and can they be prevented? Germanic languages and lit professor receives Humboldt Foundation research prize Feb 4, 2019 9:00 am Mara Wade is internationally known for her emblem research, research on European aristocratic and festival culture, gender research and research on the urban culture of Nuremberg Giant reed is a photosynthetic outlier, study finds Mar 7, 2016 12:00 pm “We confirmed that giant reed uses C3, a less efficient type of photosynthesis, and yet it’s really productive. We just had to find out how.” 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. #GirlsWithToys at Illinois May 27, 2015 7:45 am Illinois anthropology professor Kate Clancy started #GirlsWithToys, a hashtag that highlights women in STEM and the research tools that they use every day. Going to the far side to explore the universe Dec 20, 2021 1:00 pm A wire mesh will be deployed on the far side of the moon using wall-climbing robotsto form about a half-mile wide (1 km) parabolic reflector – making the LCRT the largest filled-aperture radio telescope in the solar system. Grad student names new treehopper species after Lady Gaga Mar 10, 2020 8:45 am The insect now known as Kaikaia gaga represents a new genus and species of treehopper.