blog posts The beneficial side of pets’ bacterial microbiome Feb 14, 2018 4:15 pm '...animals that live together and have similar diets will have microbiomes that share common features. Studies have found that people and their pet dogs develop similar microbiomes' The bad rap for rap Aug 2, 2017 9:00 am Research shows how rap and hip-hop music are more positive than their stereotype suggests The 232-year history of prairie fire in Midwestern US Oct 19, 2021 10:00 am A study of first-person accounts of fires occurring between 1673 and 1905 in the Midwest has given us the first systematic analysis of the timing, causes and consequences of prairie fires in this part of the world. Teens who crave excitement more likely to smoke, use multiple illicit substances Aug 5, 2020 12:30 pm A study of high school seniors by Illinois professor Kevin Tan finds that teens who crave risky experiences and unpredictable friends are more likely to smoke and use alcohol and various other substances. Tech to screen for higher-yielding crop traits more accessible to scientists Mar 16, 2020 8:45 am A U of I research team is revolutionizing the ability to screen plants for key traits across an entire field. In two recent studies, they are making this technology more accessible. Technology from Professor Martin Burke behind $25M medical startup Feb 4, 2015 2:45 pm Illinois chemistry professor Marty Burke explains how his research group breaks down complex chemicals into simple 'building blocks.' His group recently discovered that thousands of molecules that could be very useful as medicines can be built with only 12 different building blocks, which could dramatically speed up drug development. Hear his full story here. Team uses copper to image Alzheimer's aggregates in the brain Nov 24, 2020 12:45 pm U. of I. chemistry professor Liviu Mirica and his colleagues found that diagnostic agents that contain copper isotopes can detect amyloid deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. 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 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. Team identifies compound with potent antiseizure effects Mar 22, 2022 8:45 am Researchers studying epileptic seizures of the temporal lobe - the most common type of epilepsy - discovered a compound that reduces seizures in the hippocampus, a brain region where many such seizures originate. Team finds reliable predictor of plant species persistence and coexistence Jun 8, 2023 9:00 am U of I researchers have developed a method for determining whether pairs or groups of plant species are likely to coexist over time. Their approach reliably predicts which plants manage to thrive in a shared habitat. Team finds new way to attach lipids to proteins, streamlining drug development Nov 21, 2016 2:30 pm Illinois biochemistry professor Satish Nair and his colleagues found a way to use a microbial enzyme to efficiently transform proteins by adding lipid (fat) molecules to them. Team finds first wild alligator snapping turtle in Illinois since 1984 Nov 13, 2017 9:00 am Discovery may be a sign of hope for this state-endangered species, or could be the last of its kind to have survived in Illinois without human intervention Team finds bovine kobuvirus in US Dec 12, 2019 8:00 am A virus that afflicts cattle that was first discovered in Japan in 2003 has made its way to the U.S., researchers report in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Team earns $150K prize with tech for rapid detection of infectious diseases Sep 23, 2016 9:15 am Anurup Ganguli, PhD student in bioengineering, received this year’s First Prize of $150,000 in the Student Technology Prize for Primary Healthcare competition. Team discovers invasive-native crayfish hybrids in Missouri Oct 8, 2021 9:45 am A study of the Current River in southeastern Missouri, revealed – almost by chance – that the virile crayfish, Faxonius virilis, was interbreeding with a native crayfish, potentially altering the native’s genetics, life history and ecology. Team discovers how bacteria exploit a chink in the body’s armor Jan 19, 2017 2:30 pm Scientists have discovered a new type of bacterial enzyme that can blunt the body’s key weapons in its fight against infection. Team develops bioprocess for converting plant materials into valuable chemicals Aug 17, 2021 11:15 am 'We figured out that we can use what’s been considered a toxic, useless substance as a supplementary carbon source with xylose to economically produce fine chemicals' such as triacetic acid lactone, or TAL, and vitamin A, Jin said. Team deciphers how myotonic dystrophy generates lethal heart dysfunctions Feb 27, 2020 10:45 am In a new study, researchers traced the molecular events that lead to heart abnormalities in myotonic dystrophy and recreated the disease in a mouse model. Team cracks eggs for science Apr 8, 2021 9:45 am Illinois researchers assess the factors that a bird must overcome to pierce a foreign egg and remove it from its nest. The study is relevant to the hosts of avian brood parasites, which lay their eggs in other birds’ nests. Team converts wet biological waste to diesel-compatible fuel Dec 4, 2018 9:45 am Researchers report they can convert wet biowaste, such as swine manure and food scraps, into a fuel that can be blended with diesel and that shares diesel’s combustion efficiency and emissions profile Team brings subatomic resolution to computational microscope Mar 26, 2018 10:30 am Scientists have built a 'computational microscope' that can simulate the atomic and subatomic forces that drive molecular interactions. Reserachers foresee multiple benefits Team achieves two-electron chemical reactions using light energy, gold May 15, 2018 10:00 am Puts scientists one step closer to building a carbon-recycling system that can harvest solar energy to efficiently convert CO2 and water into liquid fuels 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. Tasting no-calorie sweetener may affect insulin response on glucose tolerance test Jan 29, 2020 1:30 pm 'The most important take-home message is that sweet taste in itself may have an impact on carbohydrate metabolism and glucose control,' researcher Yanina Pepino said. Take Zika seriously, but its main carrier isn't as far north as Illinois Mar 18, 2016 1:00 pm Illinois entomologist Brian Allen has been following Zika since its outbreak and is currently working on research proposals to further explore causes and preventions of the virus 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. 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.’” Taboo words’ impact mediated by context, listeners’ likelihood of being offended Aug 10, 2017 8:00 am 'Depending on the identity of the speaker and the appropriateness of the situation in which they say it, a given taboo word may have stronger or weaker psychologica...effects' Symbiosis: Understanding cooperation and conflict in plants Aug 4, 2022 10:30 am Do the interests of the symbionts always line up with the hosts plants, or do genes that benefit symbionts come at the expense of the hosts? Researchers investigate this question through genomic sequencing of plants seeded with microbial symbionts. Sweet-taste perception changes as children develop Jul 31, 2020 3:45 pm While adults prefer levels of sweetness similar to typical soft drinks, children and adolescents are less sensitive to the taste and prefer concentrations that are 50% sweeter. Sweet corn growers, processors could dramatically increase yield, profit Oct 9, 2019 1:45 pm In an industry struggling to maintain profitability, it’s curious that U.S. processing of sweet corn is falling so far below its potential, according to a new study. Survey reveals widespread bias in astronomy and planetary science Jul 10, 2017 10:30 am “Those who study workplace climate ... have been saying these things for a long time. To my knowledge, however, this is the first time that anyone has looked at this in the sciences.” Survey of US academic libraries documents COVID-19 pandemic responses Mar 27, 2020 1:15 pm Professor Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe says the real-time tracking data will help institutions make decisions about access to libraries during the pandemic. Survey finds farmers feel responsibility to protect land and waters Jun 2, 2017 11:00 am Farmers are often blamed for using water-polluting fertilizer, but a PRI study found a strong majority of Illinois farmers believe they are doing their part to protect the environment Survey: COVID-19 vaccine recipients report changes in menstrual bleeding Jul 15, 2022 1:15 pm Study represents the most comprehensive assessment so far of menstrual changes experienced by pre- and post-menopausal individuals in the first two weeks after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Surgical probe seeks out where cancer ends and healthy tissue begins Sep 15, 2015 4:45 pm A new surgical tool uses light to make sure surgeons removing cancerous tumors 'got it all' Suppression of COVID-19 peaks reflect time-dependent social activity, not herd immunity Apr 14, 2021 9:00 am Researchers showed that a temporary state of collective immunity - 'transient collective immunity' - emerged during early, fast-paced stages of the epidemic. But subsequent surges continued to appear because of changing social behaviors. Supervolcanoes likely triggered externally, study finds Nov 4, 2015 12:45 pm Supervolcanoes are likely triggered externally when the rock around them cracks or collapses, according to a study led by Illinois geologist Patricia Gregg. Supercomputer changing genetic medicine in Africa Jul 11, 2016 9:45 am Members of the Blue Waters team recently made it possible to discover genomic variants in over 300 deeply sequenced human samples to help construct a genotyping chip specific for African populations. Study yields new cyclic compounds, some with pharmaceutical potential Mar 12, 2018 8:45 am One of the newly generated compounds interferes with the binding of an HIV protein to a human protein, an interaction vital to the virus’s life cycle Study yields a new scale of earthquake understanding Jun 27, 2018 12:45 pm Using nanoscale techniques to study earthquake dynamics, researchers found that, under the right conditions, some rocks dissolve and may cause faults to slip Study: Year-round distribution of Earned Income Tax Credit has significant benefits Jan 7, 2016 12:15 pm Spacing it out Earned Income Tax Credit payments over the course of the year can result in significantly lower borrowing, more stable finances and less financial stress for low- and moderate-income families. Study: Viruses share genes with organisms across the tree of life Dec 6, 2017 8:45 am Study finds viruses share genes across the three superkingdoms of life, from bacteria and archaea, to eukarya, a group that includes animals, plants, fungi and all other living things Study: Vigilantism is an identity for some people Mar 10, 2022 9:30 am Illinois psychology researchers developed a new tool to determine whether an individual has adopted a vigilante identity, characterized by a desire to monitor other people’s behavior and punish those deemed wrongdoers. Study: Viewing artists as community problem-solvers increases support for public funding Dec 6, 2021 9:00 am People are significantly more supportive of public funding for artists when they see artists as collaborators who are working to bring attention to and help solve problems in their communities, according to a new study. Study urges alternative thinking about African resource extraction issues Jun 27, 2019 12:30 pm Attempts to solve the conflict over resource extraction in sub-Saharan Africa by imposing Western environmental regulations aren’t working. But it’s not for the reasons most experts might suspect, according to a new Illinois study. Study: Two ancient populations that diverged in the Americas later ‘reconverged’ May 31, 2018 2:00 pm It was previously thought that the first people in the Americas split into northern, southern branches, and that the southern branch alone gave rise to all ancient populations in Central and South America Study: Tradeoffs between commute time, safety Oct 22, 2019 2:00 pm Reserachers developed a new computer algorithm that will help city planners and others confront the issue of increased traffic congestion from rideshare services and autonomous vehicles. Study tracks waterbird use of Chicago-area wetlands Sep 14, 2022 10:00 am Researchers found that several wetland bird species make use of even small Chicago-area wetlands, and that the level of urbanization had little effect on most studied species’ use of such sites, provided the right kinds of habitat were available.