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Illinois IGB

News Archive [2016]

Tapestry of Hope

[ ] Tapestry of Hope Sweat sneaks beneath Kasia’s sunglasses as she tiptoes around the carefully organized research plots, orchestrated using GPS technology. The tiny plants reach up…

Neil Shubin, host of PBS show Your Inner Fish, speaking at Illinois

[ ] Have you ever wondered why the human body looks the way it does? Why our hands have five fingers instead of six? Why we walk on two legs instead of four? It took more than 350…

Scientists tweak photosynthesis to boost crop yield

[ ] Researchers report in the journal Science that they can increase plant productivity by boosting levels of three proteins involved in photosynthesis. In field trials, the…

Local students learn about genes, DNA and more at fifth annual Genome Day

[ ] On Saturday, November 12, over 500 adults and children from the surrounding community gathered at the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum to explore topics in genomics and biology…

Five IGB members among the eight Illinois researchers ranked world’s most influential

[ ] Eight University of Illinois researchers have been named to the Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list for 2016 (previously known as the Thomson Reuters Highly Cited…

Soybean plants with fewer leaves yield more

[ ] Using computer model simulations, scientists have predicted that modern soybean crops produce more leaves than they need to the detriment of yield—a problem made worse by rising…

For First Nations peoples, effects of European contact recorded in genome

[ ] A study of the genomes of 25 individuals who lived 1,000 to 6,000 years ago on the north coast of present-day British Columbia, and 25 of their descendants who still live in the…

Slow motion waves of jumping genes in the human genome

[ ]   Slow motion waves of jumping genes in the human genome Nature is full of parasites—organisms that flourish and proliferate at the expense of another species. Surprisingly,…

Genome Day returns on November 12, 2016

[ ] Genome Day is nearly here! Join us on November 12, 2016 at the Orpheum Children’s Museum to celebrate the event’s fifth year as we invite the community to come…

At Yellowstone, Art and Science Flourish Together

[ ] Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park represents a confluence of two seemingly contrasting views of the world. Its dramatic rock formations, diverse wildlife, and the…

Movement analysis app detects level of lung disease

[ ] Nearly 16 million Americans are afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive disease where the lung gradually loses its ability to pump enough oxygen…

Study links nutrition to brain health and cognitive aging

[ ] A new study of older adults finds an association between higher blood levels of phosphatidylcholine, a source of the dietary nutrient choline, and greater cognitive flexibility,…

The Knowledge Engine for Genomics Gains Momentum

[ ] Across the Midwest, summer is the season of growth. For KnowEnG, a Center of Excellence established by an NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Initiative award to the University of…

Genome-editing proteins ride a DNA zip line

[ ] For gene-editing proteins to be useful in clinical applications, they need to be able to find the specific site they’re supposed to edit among billions of DNA sequences. Using…

Mobile's role in population health management

[ ] -reproduced from Fierce Healthcare University of Illinois’s Schatz says that while smart clothes, such as undershirts or socks with sensors built in, would be ideal for measuring…

New center to apply computing to large-scale genomic problems

[ ] The human genome consists of three billion nucleotides that, when strung together, offer a glimpse into the basic processes of life as well as risk for disease. However,…

Team calls for integrated Midwest field research network

[ ] From a global trade and agriculture perspective, the world heavily depends on the Midwest. The United States is the biggest exporter in the world of primary foodstuffs, such as…

Desert elephants pass on knowledge—not mutations—to survive

[ ] Despite reported differences in appearance and behavior, DNA evidence finds that Namibian desert elephants are not a subspecies, but rather another population of African savanna…

New Research Theme to Develop Precision Medicine Tools

[ ] Researchers at Mayo Clinic, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) and from the University of Illinois Macro and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MNTL) are collaborating…

Scientists test nanoparticle drug delivery in dogs with osteosarcoma

[ ] At the University of Illinois, an engineer teamed up with a veterinarian to test a bone cancer drug delivery system in animals bigger than the standard animal model, the mouse.…