blog posts Blog: Salvaging the past in an ancient Maya settlement May 16, 2016 1:15 pm We are working in the the cleared agricultural fields near Cara Blanca Pool 7, a pre-Columbian residential area in west central Belize. Hundreds of ancient Maya structures once housed a thriving community here. Blood markers predict Humboldt penguin nest type, reproductive success Jun 2, 2020 11:45 am A new study of Humboldt penguins reveals metabolic differences between those that nest in sheltered and exposed areas. Blue and purple corn: Not just for tortilla chips anymore May 26, 2017 10:00 am Current sources of natural dyes are expensive and hard to come by. Now, a large University of Illinois project is filling the gap with colored corn. Blue Waters fellow studies how cities affect severe weather Oct 25, 2016 3:30 pm Blue Waters Graduate Fellow Larissa Reames, a Ph.D student at the University of Oklahoma, is working to understand how the shape of a city plays a role in extreme weather events. Blue Waters simulations suggest there are fewer faint galaxies than expected Jul 7, 2015 4:15 pm There may be far fewer galaxies further out in the Universe than might be expected, suggests a new study based on simulations conducted using the Blue Waters supercomputer at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Blue Waters to help researchers tackle Ebola Apr 8, 2015 11:00 am NCSA's Blue Waters supercomputer will be used by three research teams to gain new understanding of the deadly Ebola virus, thanks to allocations provided through the National Science Foundation's Rapid Response Research program. Bobwhites listen to each other when picking habitat Jun 18, 2020 9:15 am Researchers' discovery that northern bobwhites are attracted to a habitat based on whether other bobwhites are present there could aid conservation efforts by attracting the birds to restored natural areas. Book describes how Hong Kong media waged Asia's cultural cold war Apr 6, 2023 2:30 pm Illinois history professor Po-Shek Fu wrote about how Hong Kong media was used in a cultural cold war in Asia and the effects it had on the political and cultural environments in Hong Kong. Book examines dangers of reading for young men in late 19th-century France Feb 11, 2020 9:30 am Excessive reading by young men was seen as a cause of declining virility and a national threat in late 19th-century France. Book examines Pope’s environmental encyclical, how religion can address climate change Feb 3, 2020 12:00 pm Robert McKim, a professor emeritus of religion, edited a book looking at how religion might respond to climate change. “Laudato Si’ and the Environment” is a response to Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical of 2015. Book examines the effects of volatility in state funding for higher education May 8, 2023 9:00 am 'Currently, higher education is still benefitting from COVID-19 relief funding, and when that dries up, many states will face a financial cliff for higher education,' says education professor Jennifer Delaney. Book explores political secrecy among ordinary Americans in today's divisive culture Oct 6, 2021 11:30 am Professor's book looks at how much people feel they need to hide their views from others and the consequences of growing polarization – including the rising trend of clustering in communities with neighbors whose views mirror our own. Book: Juries robbed of power by federal government, states Jul 14, 2016 9:45 am Despite their significant presence in the Constitution, juries have largely disappeared from the U.S. legal system, according to a recently published book by Illinois law professor Suja A. Thomas. Book looks at how immigrants revitalize a small Midwest town Feb 1, 2016 9:00 pm Immigrants from Latin America and Africa work in a central Illinois meatpacking plant. These displaced workers have made a new home in Beardstown, Illinois, but in many ways, they’ve also made a new town. Book looks at how landscape design helps solve water issues Dec 20, 2019 3:00 pm Landscape architecture professor Mary Pat McGuire co-edited a book discussing how landscape design research can help solve environmental problems related to fresh water systems. Book of essays considers how religions view other faiths Sep 5, 2017 12:30 pm A new book edited by University of Illinois religion professor Robert McKim examines how followers of a religious faith view those outside of their religion. Book recounts pillaging of rare illustrations from university libraries Jun 19, 2018 10:15 am A library thief decimated the rare-book collections of academic libraries during a 1980 crime spree. Travis McDade's new book tells the story of the thefts and how the thief was caught Botanical explorer discovers plant that survives frigid eastern Russian winters Jan 11, 2017 8:00 am University of Illinois plant geneticist Erik Sacks suspected one of Eastern Russia's native plants may hold the key to breeding cold-tolerant food and biomass crops. BPA exposure in mice affects fertility in three generations Apr 15, 2015 2:00 pm In a study of mice, professor Jodi Flaws and her colleagues linked BPA exposure during pregnancy to reproductive problems in the next three generations. Brain gene expression patterns predict behavior of individual honey bees Dec 22, 2020 10:00 am Researchers used barcodes to track individual honey bees in a study that looked for parallels between the bees’ foraging and egg-laying behavior and patterns of gene expression in their brains. 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. 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. Brazilians with less education more likely to report being in poor health May 16, 2018 3:15 pm Illinois professor Flavia Cristina Drumond Andrade led a study of education levels and self-reported health in Brazil Breaking the temperature barrier in small-scale materials testing Feb 25, 2020 9:45 am Materials science and engineering professor Shen Dillion uses electron microscopy and targeted laser heating for ultra-high temperature testing of aeronautical materials. Breakthrough helps farmers grow more food on less land May 16, 2019 2:00 pm An international team is using advanced tools to develop crops that give farmers more options for sustainably producing more food on less land. Breeding cassava, a tropical root, has not improved photosynthesis or yield May 10, 2018 9:30 am While advances in breeding have helped cassava withstand pests and diseases, cassava yields no more today than it did in 1963. Bridging the gap between medicine and literature Feb 14, 2018 10:15 am 'Nowadays, you have a separation between the humanities departments and the sciences, but up until the 18th century that was not the case,' says Professor Stephanie Hilger Brief interactions spur lasting waves of gene activity in the brain Jul 17, 2017 9:45 am A five-minute encounter with an outsider spurs a cascade of changes in gene activity in the brain that can last for hours, researchers report in a study of stickleback fish. Bringing cells to life … and to Minecraft: $30 million NSF grant to support whole-cell modeling Sep 7, 2023 11:00 am With cutting-edge imaging and simulation tools, the center will study healthy and diseased cells; accelerate research into gene expression, metabolism, and division; and share science with communities of all ages through a partnership with the popular computer game Minecraft. Brown armorated stink bugs are on the move in Illinois this fall Sep 30, 2016 2:00 pm An invasive stink bug species has been found in five newly invaded Illinois counties this year, according to Kelly Estes, Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey coordinator in the Prairie Research Institute. By imaging the brain, scientists can predict a person's aptitude for training Dec 9, 2019 8:00 am Psychology professor Aron Barbey and colleagues found that the relative size of specific brain regions predicted how much a person would benefit from interventions designed to boost fluid intelligence. By targeting gene expression in parasites, Vet Med researcher aims to end childhood disease Nov 28, 2016 1:30 pm As a young veterinarian in Zambia, Dr. William Witola wanted to know why the baby cows he saw were dying from a parasite resisting all treatment. Decades later, the University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine researcher is designing small molecules to silence that same parasite’s gene expression, find potential drug targets and help end a disease afflicting children around the world. CABBI, Crop Sciences team achieves first precision gene editing in miscanthus Jan 20, 2023 12:00 pm The results will accelerate efforts to tap the huge potential of this highly productive but genetically complex grass as a source for biofuels, renewable bioproducts, and carbon sequestration. Caffeine may offset some health risks of diets high in fat, sugar Dec 20, 2019 10:15 am In a study of rats, University of Illinois scientists found that caffeine limited weight gain and cholesterol production, despite a diet that was high in fat and sugar. Cahokia's rise parallels onset of corn agriculture May 14, 2020 9:15 am Corn cultivation began in the vicinity of the Cahokia between A.D. 900 and 1000, researchers report. Its arrival may have contributed to the abrupt rise of this ancient metropolis in and around present-day St. Louis. Call to Action initiative to support research in systemic racism, social justice issues Jul 27, 2020 8:45 am A first call for research proposals and inaugural awards will be coming early in the fall semester, focusing on systemic racism and social justice, law enforcement and criminal justice reform, and disparities in health and health care. Camera trap study captures Sumatran tigers, clouded leopards, other rare beasts Feb 24, 2020 8:00 am Scientists deployed motion-sensitive camera traps in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in southern Sumatra. Over eight years, they recorded the haunts and habits of dozens of rare species. Camera trap study reveals the hidden lives of island carnivores Dec 21, 2018 9:30 am 160 cameras reveal that several mammalian predators are living on various islands in this remote archipelago in Lake Superior Cancer Center biochemist explores RNA splicing’s role in liver cancer Aug 11, 2021 9:30 am 'In most diseases, RNA splicing is not regulated correctly...and of course, in cancer, it is well-established that aberrant splicing is a major contributor to cell transformation and metastasis,' Kalsotra said. Cancer drug starts clinical trials in human brain-cancer patients Nov 27, 2017 9:00 am A drug that spurs cancer cells to self-destruct has been cleared for use in a clinical trial of patients with a rare malignant brain tumor, and an aggressive late-stage cancer of the brain Cancer-fighting properties of horseradish revealed May 17, 2016 12:15 pm For the first time, the activation of cancer-fighting enzymes by glucosinolate products in horseradish has been documented. Cancer survivors' tongues less sensitive to tastes than those of healthy peers Jun 23, 2021 10:15 am Study finds that head and neck cancer survivors’ tongues are less sensitive at the tip, and problems with taste dysfunction may persist for years after patients complete oncology treatments. Carbon-coated iron catalyst structure could lead to more-active fuel cells Sep 12, 2016 9:30 am “Previously, we didn’t know what these catalysts were made of because they had a lot of different things inside them. Now we’ve narrowed it down to one component." Carefully crafted light pulses used to control neuron activity Nov 20, 2017 11:30 am Chemists have used 'coherent control' light beams to regulate chemical reactions, but this study is the first demonstration of using them to control function in a living cell Carle and Illinois developing next generation brain imaging Jun 25, 2015 2:00 pm Physicians at Carle and researchers at Illinois have teamed up for advanced research in new imaging technology that has the potential to help map the brain and better diagnose certain brain-related conditions. Cassava may benefit from increased CO2 more than other crops Nov 11, 2020 8:45 am Researchers found significant yield increases - from 22 to 39 percent in seven out of eight varieties of cassava. Cultivar in the study were ‘farmer preferred’ in Africa, where cassava makes up a quarter or more of diets in several countries. Catastrophic concerns shaped by past interactions between science, culture Nov 19, 2020 12:45 pm An Illinois science historian’s new book, 'Catastrophic Thinking,' looks at how our concerns about threats to the planet and the human race came to be. Caterpillar, fungus in cahoots to threaten fruit, nut crops, study finds Nov 5, 2018 8:00 am The navel orangeworm caterpillar works with a fungus to overcome plant chemical defenses, a new study finds Causes of childhood obesity complex, but families, media play key roles Apr 19, 2016 1:15 pm Children’s genetic risks for obesity may be reduced by interventions that strengthen family communication and help children manage their emotions and feelings of satiety Cell-autonomous immunity shaped human evolution Sep 9, 2020 11:15 am Every human cell harbors its own defenses against microbial invaders, relying on strategies that date back to some of the earliest events in the history of life. Understanding it is essential to understanding human evolution and medicine.