blog postsDesigner enzyme conquers sulfite reduction, a bottleneck in environmental cleanupSep 14, 2018 3:00 pm0 views Chemistry professor Yi Lu, left, and graduate student Evan Mirts have designed a new synthetic enzyme that reduces the compound sulfite to sulfide – a notoriously complex multistep chemical reaction that has eluded chemists for years.Study: Kidney stones have distinct geological historiesSep 14, 2018 3:00 pm0 views Illinois researchers have made new discoveries about how kidney stones repeatedly grow and dissolve as they form inside the kidney.Adaptation of ‘The Turn of the Screw’ premieres at Krannert CenterSep 12, 2018 12:00 pm3 views The Builders Association, a New York theater company, developed “STRANGE WINDOW: The Turn of the Screw,” a new take on Henry James’ novella, during a residency at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Study: Large-scale wind and solar farms in the Sahara would increase heat, rain, vegetationSep 7, 2018 2:30 pm0 views Using a new climate-modeling approach, U. of I. postdoctoral researcher Yan Li and his colleagues found that a massive wind and solar installation in the Sahara Desert could have beneficial climatic and ecological effects.Our brains process irony in emojis, words in the same waySep 5, 2018 2:00 pm0 views That winky-face emoji at the end of a text isn’t just a fun picture added to a sentence. It can convey linguistic meaning that changes the interpretation of the sentenceInfants can distinguish between leaders and bullies, study findsSep 4, 2018 9:15 am0 views A new study finds that 21-month-old infants can distinguish between respect-based power asserted by a leader and fear-based power wielded by a bullyDiscovery: Properties of viral DNA determine course of infectionSep 4, 2018 8:45 am0 views Viruses may inject their DNA into a host cell synchronously or randomly, a new study finds. The difference appears to influence the course of infectionColor-changing sensor detects signs of eye damage in tearsAug 31, 2018 9:30 am0 views Carle-Illinois researchers have developed a rapid sensing gel to measure a molecular marker of eye injury in a teardropCollege towns important to alumni’s enjoyment of homecoming events, study findsAug 31, 2018 9:15 am1 views Alumni who were not only strongly emotionally attached to their school but perceived the town as a unique, tourist destination rated homecoming events as much more satisfyingAncient African herders had lasting ecological impact on grazed landsAug 29, 2018 11:00 am0 views Ancient herding sites increased ecological diversity on the African savanna. Sites where herders penned their animals became fertile hotspots that still nourish large communities of herbivoresMany young adults lack financial literacy, economic stability, study findsAug 28, 2018 3:45 pm0 views Nearly a third of 18 to 24 year olds were found to be 'financially precarious' because they had poor financial literacy and lacked money management skills and income stabilityPost-workout muscle building and repair blunted in obese adults, study findsAug 28, 2018 8:30 am0 views New study shows 'there is an obesity-related impairment in building new muscle proteins in the fed state after a weightlifting session'For now, Illinois’ imperiled eastern massasauga rattlesnakes retain genetic diversityAug 28, 2018 8:00 am1 views A long-term study of these snakes reveals that – despite their alarming decline in numbers – they have retained a surprising amount of genetic diversityConnectivity explains ecosystem responses to rainfall, droughtAug 27, 2018 12:15 pm0 views 'This type of analysis...lets us determine how well different aspects of an ecosystem are connected and whether responses to changes in climate are site-specific or common across different ecosystems'College tours for Chinese teens a rapidly growing market for tourist industryAug 24, 2018 4:30 pm0 views More families in China are sending their teens on international college tours, creating a potentially lucrative market sector for universities, college towns and tourism-related businessesPointy eggs more likely to stay put in birds’ cliffside nests, study findsAug 22, 2018 10:30 am1 views 'This finding provides experimental support for natural selection shaping the unique form of murre eggs amongst all bird eggs.'Study shows diminished but ‘robust’ link between union decline, rise of inequalityAug 21, 2018 9:30 am0 views 'The bottom line is that paychecks would probably be bigger, and paychecks would probably be more secure and reliable, if unions hadn’t declined over time'Novel nanoparticle-based approach detects and treats oral plaque without drugsAug 17, 2018 2:15 pm1 views Illinois researchers have recently devised a practical nanotechnology-based method for detecting and treating the harmful bacteria that cause plaque and lead to tooth decayNew CRISPR technique skips over portions of genes that can cause diseaseAug 16, 2018 12:00 pm0 views Illinois researchers' new gene editing technology gives researchers a way not only to eliminate a mutated gene sequence, but to influence how the gene is expressed and regulatedA unique combination of catalysts opens doors to making useful compoundsAug 16, 2018 11:30 am1 views 'Lots of researchers have tried to develop new photocatalysts for different reactions. And enzyme catalysis is a relatively old field.' Few researchers have put these two catalysts togetherStudy: Human wastewater valuable to global agriculture, economicsAug 15, 2018 1:45 pm0 views 'In some cases, wastewater that has been treated for safety can be used to simultaneously irrigate and fertilize crops,' said Illinois grad student and lead author John TrimmerNewly sequenced fox genome hints at genetic basis for friendly, aggressive behaviorsAug 6, 2018 2:45 pm0 views 'Finding genomic regions...was beyond any expectations with our previous tools.' With the genome sequenced, they could pinpoint part of a chromosome and even identify specific genes responsibleStudy finds possible connection between U.S. tornado activity, Arctic sea iceAug 6, 2018 8:30 am0 views The correlation between Arctic ice retreat and jet stream migration may lead to advances in seasonal severe weather predictionGenomic study ties insect evolution to the ability to detect airborne odorsAug 2, 2018 8:00 am0 views Study from Illinois entomology professor Hugh Robertson and colleagues at UC Davis reveals that all insects have odorant receptors that enable them to detect airborne chemicalsStudy: In darters, male competition drives evolution of flashy fins, bodiesAug 1, 2018 8:45 am0 views A new study of orangethroat darters reveals that the males’ ability to recognize their own and other species drives the evolution of their bright display colorsStudy: Student loans hamper wealth accumulation among black, Hispanic adultsJul 30, 2018 1:30 pm0 views Black and Hispanic adults in the study who reported having outstanding student loans when they graduated college had $36,000 less in net worth than their peers at age 30Molecular probe illuminates cancer stem cells in live miceJul 29, 2018 10:15 am0 views The new probe is a small molecule that emits a fluorescent signal only when it reacts with a target enzyme produced in cancer stem cellsKrannert Art Museum’s $10 million campaign supports acquisitions of work by female artistsJul 25, 2018 9:30 am0 views Krannert Art Museum has expanded its collection in recent years with the support of a five-year, $10 million fundraising initiative. The museum has added more works by female artists of the 20th century.Pathobiologists explore risk factors linked to chikungunya, dengue outbreaksJul 24, 2018 9:15 am0 views Analysis of 50 years of data showed population density, proximity to a country already experiencing an outbreak were factors in a country’s own likelihood of experiencing an outbreakNew model reveals rips in Earth’s mantle layer below southern TibetJul 22, 2018 1:45 pm0 views Seismic waves are helping researchers uncover the mysterious subsurface history of the Tibetan Plateau, possibly lending insight to future earthquake activity in the region
