Illinois Featured Content

NSF Molecule Maker Lab Institute director Huimin Zhao, an Illinois professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. Photo by Fred Zwicky

$15M from NSF extends Molecule Maker Lab's work to create AI tools aimed at chemistry’s challenges

Jul 29, 2025 10:00 am

The NSF-funded Molecule Maker Lab Institute at Illinois is developing advanced artificial intelligence tools and pairing them with automated molecule-building systems to speed discovery,development of drugs and catalysts.

inner layers of the VR glove beside detail photo of haptic sensors in fingertips

Advanced VR glove brings high-res touch to the digital world

Jan 12, 2024 9:00 am

'There are existing systems that have shown off high-resolution virtual touch before, but they cost tens of thousands of dollars... We’ve prototyped a new system with 160 actuators per hand for around $200, and it fits entirely on the wrist.'

EarthSense TerraSentia robot developed at Illinois that phenotypes and collects data in crop plots.

A fruitful partnership in agricultural robotics

Jul 25, 2022 9:00 am

Being at the nexus of ag technology is great for startups and students. The ability to teach agricultural and robotics students a mere mile from campus at the Illinois Autonomous Farm testbed provides meaningful research experiences for all.

two rows of soybeans at the RIPE test plots at Illinois

A huge leap forward: Photosynthesis hack boosts soybean yield 20%

Aug 18, 2022 2:15 pm

U of I-led team of RIPE researchers prove bioengineering better photosynthesis increases yields in food crops for the first time ever.

Spinal cord injury participants were challenged to control a computer cursor toward eight targets with and without the AI co-pilot. The new co-pilot increased test participants’ performance nearly fourfold. Photo courtesy of sangjoon Lee.

AI-powered co-pilot offers new autonomy for people with paralysis

Oct 8, 2025 10:15 am

'In essence, instead of relying solely on neural signals, our system blends inferring human intent with environmental context and decoded neural signals to complete the action with the human, known as shared autonomy,' student Sangjoon Lee said.

worker uses a cell phone to analyze sidewalk safety issues

Alum named to Forbes 30 under 30 after class project becomes startup success

Mar 12, 2025 10:45 am

'With the DeepWalk app, a single intern will be able to perform over 200 (sidewalk) inspections a day. This allows municipalities to take a strong first step in avoiding or meeting the requirements of these (ADA) lawsuits.”

University of Illinois chemistry professor Martin D. Burke, materials science and engineering professor Charles M. Schroeder, graduate student Nicholas Angello and postdoctoral researcher Vandana Rathore. Shown in a lab. hHoto by Fred Zwicky

Artificial intelligence and molecule machine join forces to generalize automated chemistry

Oct 28, 2022 12:45 pm

By combining powerful artificial intelligence and a molecule-making machine created at Illinois, researchers are finding the best conditions for automated complex chemistry.

AI-generated formulas undergo slump testing at the UIUC lab as part of their initial performance assessment and refinement. Credit: Meta.

Artificial intelligence produces a recipe for lower-carbon concrete

May 4, 2022 10:30 am

'We designed new formulations that nearly halve the carbon requirements of concrete yet are just as strong or stronger than traditional formulations. Given the popularity of concrete, there is a global scale of potential applications.'

nspired by the color-changing abilities of chameleons, researchers developed a dynamic and sustainable color-changing ink seen in this 3D printed chameleon illustration created by the research team. Credit: Sanghyun Jeon, Diao Lab.

A sustainable technique to 3D print multiple dynamic colors from a single ink

Feb 20, 2024 1:15 pm

Inspired by the color-changing ability of chameleons, U of I researchers developed a sustainable technique to 3D-print multiple, dynamic colors from a single ink.

With atomic stenciling, researchers have made a variety of patterned patchy nanoparticles with new shapes and properties. Illustration by Maayan Harel

Atom-scale stencil patterns help nanoparticles take new shapes, learn new tricks

Oct 15, 2025 1:15 pm

The 'patchy nanoparticles' can be made in large batches, used for a variety of electronic, optical or biomedical applications, or used as building blocks for new complex materials and metamaterials.

an elderly couple works with a laptop computer and a microphone

Automatic speech recognition learning to understand people with Parkinson’s

Sep 27, 2024 10:30 am

Listening to people with Parkinson’s disease made an automatic speech recognizer 30% more accurate, according to initial findings from the U. of I.'s Speech Accessibility Project.

Bioengineering professors pioneer new methods in microscope technology

Nov 13, 2024 9:45 am

The Omni-Mesoscope has the ability to see many cells with clarity. 'The system captures a large number of images like Google Earth, examining the details of sub-cellular structure within each cell across large areas.'

At left is a tray of the modified brewer’s yeast, and on the right is the dog kibble used in the feeding study at Illinois. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Brewed chicken protein made by precision fermentation shows benefits as pet food

Jul 31, 2025 8:45 am

U. of I. scientists used precision fermentation to produce brewed chicken protein and evaluated it for use in pet food. Dogs that ate it in their kibble during a six-month study had beneficial digestive effects, the researchers found.

Dr. Claudius Conrad. Still image taken from featured video. By University of Illinois Video Services

Bridging the gap: Bringing cancer solutions from lab to bedside

Apr 17, 2024 11:00 am

A world-renowned surgical oncologist has joined the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) to develop patient-centered solutions through collaborative research.

Center based at U of I will develop distributed computing tech for 2030 and beyond

Jan 5, 2023 3:00 pm

Illinois will lead the ACE Center for Evolvable Computing, which will advance distributed computing technology, from cloud-based datacenters to edge nodes, so it operates with orders of magnitude more energy efficiency than today.

Kenneth Nixon, left, talks to police recruits about his own wrongful conviction at age 19 for a murder he did not commit. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Changing police culture with stories of wrongful convictions

Jun 8, 2023 9:15 am

The Wrongful Conviction Awareness and Avoidance course first introduced as an elective class at the Police Training Institute at U of I has been mandated for all Illinois police recruits as part of their standard training.

KickStart is designed to prevent long-term AMI, a complication that can delay recovery from knee and thigh surgeries.

CI MED innovation triple-teams recovery from knee surgery

Apr 4, 2025 4:00 pm

A Carle Illinois College of Medicine team has designed a new knee brace that combines three evidence-based therapies to help knee surgery patients avoid a common setback that can delay recovery by years.

The microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MiGS) wet lab at CI MED provided students with early hands-on experience with devices used in less-invasive procedures to treat glaucoma, known as the 'silent thief of sight.' Photo Credit: Kaden Rawson

CI MED launches first-of-its-kind glaucoma surgery training for students

Oct 31, 2024 9:45 am

The new microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MiGS) lab is a first-of-its-kind wet lab learning opportunity for students, with hands-on training in less-invasive surgical options for preserving glaucoma patients’ sight.

images of Carle Illinois physician-innovator students Bara Saadah and Caywin Zhuang flank an image of their surgeon's vest

CI MED students' anti-fatigue vest helps surgeons operate at their best

Feb 23, 2023 10:45 am

Studies indicate that between 50 and 85% of surgeons regularly experience discomfort in the back, neck, and shoulders. The students' solution combines both monitoring functions and supportive features in one product.

A new test strip system developed by Ferritiva uses body fluids like urine to detect markers that indicate an iron deficiency. The second phase of the team's work involves creating a sensor (prototype shown) that can quantify those results for use in monitoring a patient's results over time.

CI MED students create at-home screening test for iron deficiency

Apr 16, 2025 10:30 am

Some 40% of people don't have enough iron content in their blood but many of them go undiagnosed. This innovation will allow people to test at home by applying a small sample of urine, rather than blood, to a special test strip.

graphic image of green LED-emitting eyeglasses

CI MED team develops light therapy to treat children with migraines

Mar 27, 2025 11:30 am

The physician-innovators at Carle Illinois College of Medicine revolutionizes migraine therapy for children with a new side-effect-free, drug-free treatment device: a special set of glasses that emits green LED light.

Martha Gillette (left), a professor of cell and developmental biology, and Hyunjoon Kong, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering

Circadian rhythm and the blood-brain barrier

Feb 24, 2022 3:15 pm

What is the best time to take your medications? How much does time of day affect the blood-brain barrier's permeability to hormones, drugs? U of I researchers will design a chip from human stem cells to model the blood-brain interface.

Graphic by Michael Vincent showing click beetles beside a similarly sized robot

Click beetle-inspired robots jump using elastic energy

Jan 23, 2023 3:30 pm

U of I professor Sameh Tawfick led a new study introducing click beetle-sized robots small enough to fit into tight spaces, powerful enough to maneuver over obstacles and fast enough to match an insect’s rapid escape time.

Herd of quarter-Holstein, three-quarter-Gyr cattle. Photo by Matt Wheeler

Climate-smart cows could deliver 10-20x more milk in Global South

Oct 31, 2023 11:00 am

U of I animal scientists are set to deliver a potential game changer for subsistence farmers in Tanzania: cows that produce up to 20 times the milk of indigenous breeds.

stock image of students working on laptops

Designing AI software to improve student learning

Mar 17, 2023 1:30 pm

Can artificial intelligence be used to improve students’ learning—while keeping their data private and being fair and effective for students from all demographic backgrounds? Nigel Bosch and Dong Wang aim to find out.

Digital twin of patient's heart could lead to targeted treatment

Mar 26, 2024 9:00 am

A digital model that uses machine learning could simulate various patient-related factors, heart function, and treatments 'to identify the risk of developing heart failure and novel treatment options,' says MD/PhD student Pranav Dorbala.

Professor Damien Guironnet leads a new effort to create plastic packaging material that could be recycled or biodegrade.

DOE funds project to create bioplastic packaging that's infinitely recyclable

Mar 11, 2022 9:15 am

The Department of Energy has granted $2 million over three years to the U of I, Braskem America, and Princeton University to develop plastic that can be recycled perpetually, reducing waste and pollution from single-use plastics.

researcher holds a vial of precious metals eed xtractfrom discarded electronics. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Electrochemistry helps clean up electronic waste recycling, precious metal recovery

Mar 25, 2024 11:15 am

A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows how electrochemistry can be used to extract precious metals from discarded electronics in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner.

A new enzyme-inspired, small-molecule catalyst developed at the University of Illinois holds alcohols and alkenes in just the right proximity and position to join into ethers, key functional components of many consumer goods and pharmaceuticals. Graphic by Jose Vazquez

Enzyme-inspired catalyst puts chemicals in right position to make ethers

Sep 12, 2024 2:45 pm

An enzyme-inspired, small-molecule catalyst developed at the U. of I. holds alcohols and alkenes in just the right proximity and position to join into ethers, key functional components of many consumer goods, pharmaceuticals.

David Rosenboom, a pioneer in experimental music. Photo by Maximo Parpagnoli

Experimental composer headlines events examining art-science connections

Sep 27, 2022 11:45 am

David Rosenboom, a pioneer in experimental music, will lecture, perform and conduct workshops with students during a two-week series of events, 'Experimental Arts & Sciences at UIUC,' beginning Oct. 3.

student wearing a VR headset with a display screen in the background. No photo credit available

Extended reality applications for primary care: The future of medical care

Jan 19, 2024 12:30 pm

'Unfortunately...it is often difficult to discern which XR clinical applications have scientifically tested benefits. Our systematic review examined which applications of (extended reality) technology have been shown to be clinically beneficial.'

Professor Nishant Garg, standing, and graduate student Hossein Kabir used computer vision to develop a fast and convenient method for testing cement durability that can be used in the field or laboratory. Photo by Michelle Hassel

Fast, automated, affordable test for cement durability

Jul 5, 2023 12:45 pm

Engineers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new test that can predict the durability of cement in seconds to minutes – rather than the hours it takes using current methods.

three autochambers collecting data in a Central Illinois field. This data informed the creation of the new conceptual “cannon model.” Photo Credit: Will Eddy

First-ever conceptual model explains variations in farm N2O emissions

Feb 3, 2025 1:30 pm

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) has long been agriculture’s sustainability Achilles heel. N₂O has 300 times the heat-trapping ability of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and stays in the atmosphere for about 100 years.

Automated synthesis platform in the Molecule Maker Lab. Photo credit: L. Brian Stauffer.

First major breakthrough for U of I's Molecule Maker Lab

May 3, 2022 2:00 pm

It would have been a tedious process using conventional methods. The Molecule Maker Lab made it easier because it’s designed to facilitate molecular discovery research that requires testing of large numbers of molecules.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, right, visits CABBI fields at the Illinois Energy Farm

Five more years of funding for U of I's Bioenergy Research Center

Mar 17, 2023 1:15 pm

'Continuing to fund the important scientific work conducted at our Bioenergy Research Centers is critical to ensuring these sustainable resources can be an efficient and affordable part of our clean energy future,' said Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.

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