blog posts

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  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.

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  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. 

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  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.

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  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.'

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  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. 

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  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.

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  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.

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  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. 

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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. 

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  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.'

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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.

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  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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  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. 

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  Poor diet, household chaos may impair young children’s cognitive skills

  Jul 12, 2022 1:45 pm

  Analyses of data on hundreds of young children suggested that regular consumption of sugary snacks and other unhealthy food, coupled with chaotic living environments, may impair children’s development of executive function skills.

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  Study: Individualized eating program helps dieters lose weight, keep it off

  Jul 14, 2022 11:15 am

  An individualized diet program developed by nutritionists at Illinois uses a visual tool that plots protein, fiber intake to help dieters choose foods that limit their calories while consuming recommended amounts of protein and fiber. 

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  Mouza selected as next Education Dean

  Jul 7, 2022 12:00 pm

  Chrystalla Mouza, currently the Director of the School of Education at the University of Delaware, has been selected to serve as the next Dean of the College of Education.

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  Staring at yourself during virtual chats may worsen your mood, research finds

  Jun 13, 2022 1:00 pm

  Psychology doctoral candidate Talia Ariss and her colleagues found that people who stared at themselves during an online chat tended to experience a lower mood after the conversation, an effect worsened by alcohol consumption.

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  U of I's Cancer Center targets minor cannabinoids as potential cancer therapeutics

  Jun 20, 2022 11:15 am

  Many cancer patients use cannabis to treat pain and chemotherapy-related symptoms such as nausea, but researchers still don’t fully understand the mechanisms behind cannabis and its molecular components.

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  Latin dance may be a step toward better working memory for older Latinos

  Jun 10, 2022 8:00 am

  Latino adults who participated in a health intervention that provided Latin dance lessons showed significant improvements in their working memory, according to a new Illinois study.

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  Lake Michigan water-level rise affects inland waterways, study finds

  May 31, 2022 10:15 am

  2020 marked Lake Michigan’s highest water level in 120 years, and climate variance makes future water levels tough to predict. Coastal impacts are well-documented, but the effect on the area’s inland waterways has been poorly understood.

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  Student expenditures decrease at some colleges that receive promise scholarship funds

  May 17, 2022 9:15 am

  'We looked at the alignment between promise program money coming into postsecondary institutions and whether institutions spent it in ways that benefited students... In some ways these were aligned, in other ways they were not.'

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  Long-term study of pregnant women finds increasing chemical exposure

  May 11, 2022 10:45 am

  A national, long-term study that enrolled a highly diverse group of pregnant women found rising exposure to chemicals from plastics and pesticides that may be harmful to development.

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  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.

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  Corn genetic heritage the strongest driver of chemical defenses against munching bugs

  May 3, 2022 1:30 pm

  University of Illinois researchers compared how different corn varieties responded to chewing insects in the presence of a soil bacterium.

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  First dogs in the Americas arrived from Siberia, disappeared after European contact

  Jul 6, 2018 8:45 am

  The continent's first dogs were not domesticated North American wolves, but likely followed their human counterparts over a land bridge that once connected North Asia and the Americas

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  Researchers repurpose failed cancer drug into printable semiconductor

  Oct 3, 2019 8:45 am

  Illinois researchers have repurposed a failed cancer drug into a new type of organic semiconductor for use in transistors and chemical sensors.

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  Physics group achieves most efficient single-photon production ever

  Oct 4, 2019 1:30 pm

  With planned upgrades, the apparatus could generate upwards of 30 photons at unprecedented efficiencies. Sources of that caliber are precisely what’s needed for optical quantum information applications. 

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  Illinois-led study suggests opinion polarization caused by data overload

  Jul 31, 2020 12:30 pm

  Humans see an ever-shrinking fraction of the ever-expanding amount of available information. As it becomes harder to navigate the growing menu of information sources and options, the natural instinct is to gravitate towards the familiar.

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  Use of tobacco pipes by Native groups tells story of regional diversity

  Jun 23, 2021 9:45 am

  A study of pipes recovered from Hopewell sites in Illinois, Ohio reveals that the manufacture, import, export and use of pipestone pipes varied significantly between the groups, even though they engaged in trade with one another.

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  NSF director announces $40M in awards for U of I projects

  Apr 21, 2022 1:15 pm

  Federally funded research at the nation’s universities creates new companies, industries, opportunities, and jobs—and the tech-savvy, educated workforce needed to fill them. In the state of Illinois, the impact is significant.

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  Parents' reactions while helping with math shape young children's achievement

  Apr 25, 2022 11:30 am

  When math homework with their parents is fraught with negativity such as parental feelings of frustration or ineptitude, children are less likely to enjoy math and tackle challenging math problems. 

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  Paper: COVID-19 outcomes not consistently explained by race, social vulnerability

  Apr 14, 2022 9:15 am

  The racial health disparities shown in the COVID-19 data 'highlight that our society is highly interconnected, so poor health outcomes for any group will have repercussions for the health of the general population,' says researcher Wendy Tam Cho.

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  New approach enhances muscle recovery in aged mice

  Apr 13, 2022 10:00 am

  The muscles of children, young adults tend to recover quickly from atrophy caused by disuse, 'but unfortunately for older adults, they are deficient in the capacity to recover muscle mass,' says researcher Marni Boppart.

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  Protected tropical forest sees major bird declines over 40 years

  Apr 11, 2022 11:15 am

  Deep in a Panamanian rain forest, bird populations have been quietly declining for 44 years. A new U of I-led study shows a whopping 70% of understory bird species declined 1977 and 2020. And most are down by half or more.

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  Study examines impact of DNA evidence in sexual assault prosecutions

  Apr 7, 2022 9:45 am

  When DNA evidence is available that matches the suspects in sexual assault cases, prosecutors are more likely to litigate and the odds of conviction are more than nine times greater than cases without biological evidence, a new study found.

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  Illinois researchers make Deseret Alphabet texts available for study

  Apr 5, 2022 10:30 am

  Researchers from Linguistics and Computer Science are working together to develop resources for studying the Deseret Alphabet, which was created by the Mormons and used briefly in the 19th century.

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  Drug use beliefs found to be strongest predictor of youth substance use

  Mar 28, 2022 10:45 am

  Many drug use prevention programs for youth focus on peer and family relationships, school connection, and self-confidence.. This study suggests another factor may be equally–or even more–influential: whether the youth believes drug use is wrong.

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  Mind the gap: Beckman researchers measure electron transport through space

  Mar 25, 2022 9:00 am

  The flow of electrical current through organic compounds is a central chemical process, factoring into everything from photosynthesis to energy storage in batteries. This study could enable new devices for the emerging field of molecular electronics.

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  NCSA joins humanities project: Looking to the past to save the oceans

  Mar 23, 2022 11:30 am

  The Oceans 1876 project revisits the voyage of the HMS Challenger on it’s 150th anniversary. Untapped Challenger data may help us to protect Earth's oceans by serving as a pre-industrial baseline for our deteriorating oceans.

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  Study ties present-day Native American tribe to ancestors in San Francisco Bay area

  Mar 21, 2022 2:45 pm

  Previous studies of artifacts and language patterns suggested that the Ohlone were relative newcomers to the region. But genomic research found a deep signal of continuity between the ancient population and the new one.