blog posts NIH director's blog cites oncological work of Professors Fan, Cheng Aug 2, 2016 11:00 am "Their studies in dogs undergoing treatment for osteosarcoma suggest that specially engineered, bone-seeking nanoparticles might safely deliver anti-cancer drugs precisely to the places where they are most needed." Researchers look at how opioids can increase pain sensitivity Aug 20, 2019 12:00 pm The chronic use of opioids can cause opioid-induced hyperalgesia, a condition where the patient receiving opioids for pain becomes more sensitive to certain kinds of pain. New salt-based propellant proven compatible in dual-mode rocket engines Sep 9, 2019 12:00 pm 'We have (shown) that salt propellants work in the high-acceleration combustion mode. Now we know that this unique combination of salts will also work in the electric fuel-efficient mode.' When older couples are close together, their heart rates synchronize Nov 18, 2021 9:45 am U of I study examines the dynamics of long-term relationships through spatial proximity. The researchers find that when partners are close to each other, their heart rates synchronize in complex patterns of interaction. Study: Canada geese beat humans in longstanding territory battle Nov 29, 2022 12:00 pm Cities spend a lot of time and money harassing geese to relocate, but new University of Illinois research shows standard goose harassment efforts aren’t effective, especially in winter when birds should be most susceptible to scare tactics. Hiring foreign nurses does not hurt US nursing jobs, study shows Dec 7, 2020 2:30 pm 'Our findings show relying on foreign-educated registered nurses to balance demand and supply in the U.S. healthcare workforce does not hurt the employment of U.S.-educated nurses,' says lead study author Hyeran Chung. 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. 'Shot in the dark' call leads to research that better predicts covid-19 severity Jan 29, 2021 11:15 am This MD says his call to artificial intelligence researchers at Illinois three years ago was a 'shot in the dark.' Now the tool they have created accounts for diabetes and other chronic conditions to more accurately predict the severity of COVID-19 cases. Not just CO2: Rising temperatures also alter photosynthesis in a changing climate Mar 16, 2021 9:45 am Excessive heat can reduce the efficiency of enzymes that drive photosynthesis and can hinder plants’ ability to regulate CO2 uptake and water loss, the researchers write. Muon g-2 experiment strengthens evidence of new physics Apr 7, 2021 3:15 pm U of I scientists played leading role in paradigm-shifting experiment that found muons behave in a way that is not predicted by scientists’ best theory, the Standard model of particle physics. Chicago Quantum Exchange, IBM Q Network partner to advance quantum computing Apr 26, 2019 3:30 pm Illinois and partners in the CQE will work with IBM Q to explore the field of quantum computing, including materials, fabrication techniques, algorithms, and software and hardware development. 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. Construction starting on new Feed Technology Center at Illinois May 31, 2019 1:45 pm 'The Feed Technology Center...will elevate our ability to conduct innovative research while training the next generation of experts in feed science and animal nutrition,' said Dean Kim Kidwell. Study identifies key player in heart enlargement Jun 27, 2017 12:30 pm The heart enlarges in response to growing demands from exercise or heart disease. A new study identifies a key molecular player in this process. Researchers: Too much information can be a good thing Aug 7, 2017 9:00 am In the world of health care, the phrase “too much information”—or TMI—can be a serious problem. But not always Study: Easy explanations for life’s inequities lead to support for the status quo Sep 9, 2015 11:30 am “Even though there is considerable bias in how society is structured, many people seem to think that society is fair. We wanted to know why.” - Andei Cimpian 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. 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. Potato as effective as carb gels for boosting athletic performance Oct 18, 2019 12:15 pm According to a new study of bicycle enthusiasts, potatoes make a savory alternative to sweetened commercial gels used by athletes for a quick carbohydrate boost during exercise. Illinois to lead NSF Midwest Big Data Hub Nov 3, 2015 3:15 pm To accelerate advancements in the rapidly emerging field of big data analysis, the National Science Foundation is establishing four regional Big Data Hubs. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will lead the Midwest Hub. Research explores impact of racial discrimination on dating websites for gay, bisexual men Nov 14, 2019 1:30 pm Because racialized sexual discrimination is a relatively new area of study, researchers currently don’t have a tool for measuring its impact on the well-being of men of color who use these websites. Illinois researcher wants to view cancer through the eyes of mantis shrimp Nov 21, 2016 3:30 pm Illinois professor has been working on a camera that could allow doctors to detect cancer cells through the use of polarized light. The inspiration for this camera came from studying the eyes of mantis shrimp. 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. 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. 50 million-year-old fossil assassin bug has unusually well-preserved genitalia Jan 19, 2021 9:45 am The find suggests that the banded assassin bugs, a group to which the new specimen is thought to belong, are about 25 million years older than previously thought, said entomology graduate student Daniel Swanson, who co-led the research. DOE funds project to apply AI technologies to sorting plastics Jan 28, 2021 2:00 pm 'Sensor fusion and artificial intelligence algorithms used in the process will increase the speed and accuracy of plastic sorting, eventually making the technology more economical with a cost goal of less than $30 per ton.' Battery technology could charge up water desalination Feb 1, 2016 11:30 am Electricity running through a salt water-filled battery draws the salt ions out of the water. Protecting dark, quiet skies from satellite constellation interference Feb 4, 2022 10:15 am 'With the advent of more affordable launch options, large-scale commercial use of space has become a reality,' says Professor Siegfried Eggl. 'The increased presence of tens of thousands of artificial satellites in low-Earth orbit comes with challenges...' Virtual reality program lessens physical side effects of hemodialysis Feb 25, 2021 9:30 am Patients in a study who used a virtual reality program to engage in a mindfulness/meditation exercise reported fewer side effects such as fatigue, lightheadedness and nausea related to their hemodialysis treatments. 'Whiteness' undermines efforts to address systemic racism in public education Mar 9, 2021 4:00 pm An Illinois study suggests that training for educational leaders should critically and thoroughly examine racism in public education and teach the skills educators need to address the bias and inequities they encounter in schools. 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 Beckman team builds better tool for assessing infant brain health Apr 29, 2021 8:30 am Their open-access tool will help doctors and researchers assess infant brain metabolite levels. High or low metabolite levels in the brain may be the first sign of problems with brain function or development. 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. Scientists text-mining social media for data on food-related topics May 15, 2020 10:30 am Researchers are data mining social media to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks, monitor obesity rates and related diseases, and explore dietary patterns and the growing popularity of plant-based diets. Paper: Young workers hit hardest by slow hiring during recessions May 16, 2016 11:00 am When hiring slows during recessions, the brunt of job losses is borne by job-seekers in their twenties and early thirties, according to a new paper by Eliza Forsythe Researchers mimic nature for fast, colorful 3D printing Jun 10, 2020 1:00 pm A new study demonstrates how a modified 3D-printing process provides a versatile approach to producing multiple colors from a single ink. Beckman Institute purchases animal MRI machine Jun 27, 2019 12:15 pm Eighteen University of Illinois colleges, departments, and schools, along with a generous gift from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, are funding the purchase of a Bruker 9.4 Tesla preclinical animal MRI system. Researchers develop dynamic templates critical to printable electronics technology Jul 13, 2017 8:15 am When it comes to efficiency, sometimes it helps to look to Mother Nature for advice – even in technology as advanced as printable, flexible electronics. Study tracks plant pathogens in leafhoppers from natural areas Aug 2, 2022 10:00 am By extracting and testing DNA from archival leafhopper specimens collected in natural areas, the study identified new phytoplasma strains and found new associations between leafhoppers and phytoplasmas known to harm crop plants. Researchers develop tiny thermometer to take fast temperatures in cells Aug 29, 2019 2:15 pm With a tiny new thermometer probe that can quickly measure temperature inside of a cell, Illinois researchers have illuminated a mysterious aspect of metabolism: heat generation. New study links anxiety, the brain's orbitofrontal cortex, and optimism Sep 22, 2015 11:30 am The new analysis offers the first evidence that optimism plays a mediating role in the relationship between the size of the OFC and anxiety. Christina White wins American Chemical Society's synthetic organic chemistry award Sep 28, 2018 1:30 pm Professor White is the first woman to win the ACS Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry New center to use high-performance computing in hypersonic propulsion research Oct 1, 2020 4:15 pm The U.S. Department of Energy is providing $17 million over five years to fund a new Center for Exascale-enabled Scramjet Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. New compounds block master regulator of cancer growth, metastasis Jan 7, 2020 8:30 am Illinois researchers have developed new drug agents to inhibit a pathway that contributes to cancer. The compounds killed cancer cells and reduced the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice. Energy sorghum may combine best of annual, perennial bioenergy crops Jan 7, 2021 1:00 pm Study finds that energy sorghum behaves more like miscanthus in its efficient use of light and water. It has higher nitrogen emissions like maize, but researchers believe careful fertilizer management could reduce those levels. Project embeds computer science lessons in math instruction for K-5 students Feb 2, 2016 1:00 pm “Computing education is literacy for the 21st century, and that’s why we have to provide it in all grades and to as broad a range of students as possible,” said co-principal investigator George Reese. NIFA grant project aims to improve food safety testing for leafy greens Feb 8, 2021 12:45 pm The main pathogen related to leafy greens is E. coli. Current testing involves collecting samples from the field and sending them to a lab for testing. That may catch major contamination issues, but smaller-scale events are often undetected. Chemists identify structure of protein that forms fibrils in Parkinson's patients Mar 27, 2016 11:30 am Armed with this knowledge, researchers can identify specific targets for diagnosis and treatment. Repeal of Clean Power Plan had economic, environmental consequences Apr 2, 2021 10:15 am 'We find the repeal of the CPP imposed significant economic costs and environmental damages in the form of additional greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade,' says Professor Madhu Khanna. New 3D microbatteries stand up to industry standard thin-film counterparts Apr 5, 2021 9:30 am U of I researchers have introduced a fabrication process that builds microbatteries with thick, 3D electrodes using lithography and electrodeposition. The prototype shows the highest peak power density of any reported microbatteries.