Illinois Featured Content

U. of I. plant biology professor James O’Dwyer, pictured, and graduate student Kenneth Jops developed a method for predicting whether pairs or groups of plants are likely to persist together in a habitat over time. Photo by Michelle Hassel

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.

Digital age creates challenges for public libraries in providing patron privacy

May 31, 2023 12:15 pm

'In today's digital age, the responsibility to safeguard patron privacy becomes notably more challenging, and respondents expressed concerns about libraries lacking the necessary tools, budget, and expertise to fulfill this mandate.'

Emily Mendelson, a graduate student in communication at the University of Illinois. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Viral videos about private moments may affect offline relationships

May 18, 2023 2:30 pm

Posting videos about intimate relationships to social media platforms may affect offline relationships, according to a case study of the viral 'couch guy' TikTok video by Emily Mendelson, a graduate student at the U of I.

study author Tanjila Jesmin with Richard Mulvaney, professor in NRES

Poor soils lose carbon regardless of crop residue and nitrogen inputs

May 15, 2023 11:45 am

Many farmers think if they add plenty of nitrogen fertilizer, that nitrogen and carbon will be stored in the soil as organic matter when microbes decompose crop residue. New U of I research suggests those efforts might not work for poor soils.

Jennifer Delaney, a professor of education policy, organization and leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and other experts examine the wide-ranging implications of unpredictable state appropriations in the new book, “Volatility in State Spending for Higher Education.” Photo by Fred Zwicky

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.

graphic by NIH Image Gallery shows microbiome of the human gut

How diet quality affects the gut microbiota to promote health

May 8, 2023 11:45 am

'Currently, there is no definition of a "healthy" microbiome. Understanding how diet may influence the structure of the gut microbiota is important so we can make recommendations on dietary approaches,' says doctoral student Alexis Baldeon.

Rice fields in Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India. Photo By: Flickr (Kees vD)

Understanding the long-term impact of climate change on Indian crops

Apr 24, 2023 10:15 am

'In the past we did a similar study in the US and now we're doing it for India. ...the results of this study are telling us that in both countries, although there is a negative impact of climate, crops are adapting,' Professor Madhu Khanna said.

researchers Christopher Zwilling, Tanveer Talukdar and Aron Barbey. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Study links nutrients, brain structure, cognition in healthy aging

Apr 25, 2023 9:00 am

U of I study finds that blood markers of two saturated fatty acids along with certain omega-6, -7 and -9 fatty acids correlated with better scores on tests of memory and with larger brain structures in the frontal, temporal, parietal and insular cortices.

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.

Hope for salamanders? Illinois study recalibrates climate change effects

Mar 31, 2023 1:30 pm

'Older estimates were predicting almost 100% of the suitable habitat being wiped out for some of these species. But once we incorporated microclimate data at fine spatial scales for our study area, we found it might not be nearly that severe.'

Chang Liu working in Chen’s liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy laboratory. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Researchers reveal first real-time look at nanoparticles forming solid materials

Mar 30, 2023 10:15 am

Particles can be seen raining down, tumbling along stairsteps and sliding around before finally snapping into place to form a crystal’s signature stacked layers.

U of I study gives a thumbs up to carefully formulated vegan diets for dogs

Mar 27, 2023 9:00 am

Triglycerides, cholesterol were significantly lower in dogs fed these vegan diets. Professor Kelly Swanson says that could benefit obese pets and help maintain a healthy weight. 'Overall, it looked like there were some beneficial shifts from a gut health perspective.'

Illinois researchers including professor Diwakar Shukla, left, professor Xiao Su, Anaira Román Santiago and Song Yin collaborated on a study that verifies that electrochemistry – rather than filtration and harmful solvents – can remove short-chain PFAS from the environment and municipal water supplies. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Advanced electrode to help remediation of stubborn new 'forever chemicals'

Mar 27, 2023 3:00 pm

Study uses electrosorption rather than filters and solvents and combines synthesis, separations testing and computer simulations to help design an electrode that can attract, capture a range of short-chain PFAS from environmental waters.

Illinois professors, from left, Jodi Flaws, Megan Mahoney and Rebecca Smith found that nocturnal hot flashes can serve as a predictor of insomnia in menopausal women.

Study models the causes of insomnia in menopausal women

Mar 14, 2023 8:15 am

'Surprisingly, we did not find that hormone levels can predict sleep disruption. We did, however, find that women who have hot flashes at night also have insomnia. (And) women who had insomnia in the fourth year also had it in the first year.'

Black and Latina women reported high rates of depressive symptoms and anxiety early in the pandemic, according to an online survey conducted by kinesiology and community health professor Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo and graduate student Mary Ellen Mendy. Photo by Fred Zwicky.

Study examines COVID-19 pandemic's effect on Black, Latina women's mental health

Feb 27, 2023 10:45 am

Black and Latina women reported high rates of depression and anxiety symptoms early in the COVID-19 pandemic. But U of I researchers found that prayer as a coping mechanism had differing effects.

Ryan Cordell, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of information sciences and of English. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Project tracks how stories of racial violence spread, were reported

Feb 15, 2023 8:30 am

Professor Ryan Cordell is leading a project to examine how stories of racial violence circulated in late 19th century and early 20th century newspapers and how those stories relate to trends in contemporary social media.

$Classical chaos – or the butterfly effect – produces fractal patterns like the one shown. Classical chaos’s cousin – quantum information scrambling – encompasses even more exotic mechanisms such as quasiparticles hopping between molecules, which can dissipate energy. Stock image via Storyblocks$

Theory sorts order from chaos in complex quantum systems

Feb 24, 2023 9:45 am

The theory gives a simple prediction for the threshold at which large quantum systems switch from orderly motion like a clock to random, erratic motion like asteroids moving around in the early solar system.

Deer drinking from pond. Stock photo via Pixabay

Deer protected from deadly disease by newly discovered genetic differences

Feb 23, 2023 11:15 am

'This is the first time this gene has been sequenced completely in white-tailed deer. ...without the sequences, there's no starting point to do any kind of research,' says Animal Sciences Professor Alfred Roca.

Graphic by Michael B. Vincent shows pills, syringe, ambulance and crystal meth

Study finds 'staggering increase' in methamphetamine deaths tied to opioid co-use

Feb 20, 2023 9:30 am

A new study led by U of I professor Rachel Hoopsick finds a fiftyfold increase in methamphetamine deaths since 1999 may be the deadly result of the contamination or co-use of meth with opioids like heroin and fentanyl.

How US cotton exports are shifting in response to competition, trade policy

Feb 13, 2023 4:45 pm

Growing competition from Brazil and the effects of recent trade policies are shifting global market trends for cotton. A U of I study investigates how U.S. cotton exports are impacted by these patterns.

Professor Ning Wang, front right, is joined by researchers, from left, Fazlur Rashid, Kshitij Amar and Parth Bhala. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Probe can measure both cell stiffness and traction, researchers report

Jan 25, 2023 2:15 pm

The 'magnetic microrobot' probes gave precise information about both tissue stiffness and traction, revealing for the first time that while malignant tumors may become stiffer in response to surrounding tissues, cancer cells do not alter their tractions.

Kankshita Swaminathan and Illinois Crop Sciences Professor Erik Sacks, CABBI’s Deputy Theme Leaders for Feedstock Production, check out a field of miscanthus.

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.

Emily Van Duyn, a professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Does a 'fake news' label help audiences identify false information?

Jan 11, 2023 9:45 am

News organizations’ labeling false or misleading information as 'fake news' may be backfiring – undermining public trust while doing little to improve audiences’ ability to recognize genuine stories.

Professor Ryan Wade. Photo by Brian Stauffer

Strong ethnic identity can buffer or bolster the effects of online sexual racism in Black men

Jan 13, 2023 1:45 pm

'The personal, often vulnerable nature of intimate partner-seeking makes racialized sexual discrimination in online dating venues a unique stressor. Discrimination (can be) more brazen, prejudices more overt and rejection more frequent.'

researchers Tim Fan and Paul Hergenrother, who developed PAC-1

First human clinical trials of anti-cancer agent PAC-1 show promise

Dec 22, 2022 9:45 am

Phase I clinical trial of an anti-cancer agent developed by U of I researchers found only minor side effects in patients with end-stage cancers. It stalled the growth of tumors in five people and reduced tumor size in two of those patients.

U. of I. professor Aron Barbey with brain scan images. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Study: Network neuroscience theory best predictor of intelligence

Dec 20, 2022 9:15 am

U. of I. researchers found that taking into account the features of the whole brain – rather than focusing on individual regions or networks – allows the most accurate predictions of intelligence.

chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Hyun Joon Kong, kinesiology and community health professors Nicholas Burd and Marni Boppart, psychology professor Justin Rhodes, and chemistry professor Jonathan Sweedler are gathered at the Freer Hall physical testing site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Photo credit: Fred Zwicky.

U of I research to boost astronaut fitness on NASA’s mission to Mars

Dec 13, 2022 11:30 am

Beckman Institute researchers will explore the regenerative power of cells in space. Their research will help protect human health aboard Orion, the spacecraft destined to ferry astronauts from the Earth to the moon and Mars.

Shuk Han Ng, a visiting research data manager; Giavanna McCall, a graduate student in educational psychology; Ilber Manavbasi, a research staff member; and Liz Stine-Morrow, a Professor Emerita in educational psychology on a visit to the Champaign Public Library

U of I research: Reading for pleasure can strengthen memory in older adults

Dec 7, 2022 12:00 pm

Reading is simultaneously engaging and relaxing, and it’s fun to do alone or with friends. Now researchers say reading may help preserve memory skills as people — and their brains — grow older.

a few sheep eat grass and lounge at the base of solar panels. Photo via Wikimedia

Solar panels and agriculture can coexist, but a few hurdles remain

Dec 1, 2022 11:15 am

It can be difficult to find crops that thrive under solar panels, but for grazing animals, particularly sheep, the combination works out well. 'Sheep don't really care about hanging wires or poles,' says undergrad researcher Tyler Swanson.

social work professor Karen Tabb Dina. Photo by Brian Stauffer

Diagnoses of suicidal ideation surged among Black pregnant women in 10-year study

Nov 29, 2022 11:15 am

'These findings suggest that care for many Black women with antenatal depression – depression that occurs during pregnancy – may be delayed until the condition escalates into a life-threatening emergency,' says Professor Karen Tabb Dina.

doctoral student Ryan Askren with collared Canada goose

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.

A new model will help biologists calculate the forces involved when one organism stabs another with its puncturing tools. Pictured: A viper skull. Credit: Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Model calculates energetics of piercing fangs and claws

Oct 18, 2022 4:15 pm

Because the model can be applied to a variety of organisms, it will help scientists compare many types of biological puncturing tools, and help engineers develop new systems to efficiently pierce materials or resist being pierced.

Chris Brooke, an associate professor of microbiology (left) with lead author and graduate student Tongyu Liu. Photo by Julia Pollack

Researchers explore gene interactions in influenza to help improve vaccine accuracy

Oct 18, 2022 11:00 am

'Every year we try and pick which of the many different co-circulating flu strains to target with the next year's vaccine ...So it's really important to understand the evolution of the virus so that we can better predict the specific pathways it'll take.'

20 years of research on relationship maintenance: More diversity needed

Sep 30, 2022 12:00 pm

'Instead of saying, "past research found this in this sample, so we should assume it is truth," we need to think about how things may be different and how they may or may not apply to diverse populations," says Professor Brian Ogolsky.

kinesiology and community health professor Naiman Khan, who led the study with graduate student Arden McMath

More physical activity, less screen time linked to better executive function in toddlers

Sep 29, 2022 9:00 am

A new Illinois study finds that toddlers who spend less than 60 minutes looking at screens or engage in more than 60 minutes of exercise per day tend to have better executive function than toddlers who do not.

Tim Divoll, a data scientist in the Center for Computation & Visualization at Brown who completed his doctoral research with O’Keefe.

Bats’ midnight snacks reveal clues for managing endangered species

Sep 16, 2022 11:15 am

'This was an in-depth study of these two imperiled (bat) species in landscapes where they co-occur. Nobody's done that before. (It)gives us a much better sense of how bats not only coexist, but also how they benefit our forests,' says U of I's Joy O'Keefe.

Common gallinule Photo by Grzecho Lukasik

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.

three images of three researchers, each posing with dogs

Immunotherapy trials show promise for treating canine melanoma

Aug 8, 2022 10:00 am

These novel approaches have yielded encouraging results in canine patients, and human trials using the same therapeutic platforms are expected to begin in 2023.

a skywalker gibbon swings from tree limbs. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Study links protecting Indigenous peoples' lands to greater nonhuman primate biodiversity

Aug 10, 2022 1:30 pm

Researchers found that areas managed by Indigenous peoples tend to have much more primate biodiversity than nearby regions, and that primates whose territories overlap with Indigenous areas are less likely to be classified as threatened.

Medicago truncatula plants in the greenhouse were infected with Sinorhizobium meliloti

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.

The leafhopper Osbornellus auronitens was found for the first time to harbor a phytoplasma strain.

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.

What do bursting bubbles have to do with climate, human health?

Jul 22, 2022 9:00 am

Bacteria, viruses in ocean water, for example, can be much more concentrated in jet droplets ejected during bubble bursting. Because the droplets are so small, the microorganisms are dispersed into the surrounding air, carried by the wind, may be inhaled by people.

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