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Personalizing Cancer Diagnostics

Lizzie Roehrs

When assessing whether or not a tumor is benign or cancerous, a needle biopsy is the usual method of diagnosis. The tissue can then be analyzed to determine what mutations are…

Advanced biofuels show real promise for replacing some fossil fuels

Mary Guiden, Colorado State University

Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and storage. But the net…

In times of ecological uncertainty, brood parasites hedge their bets

Diana Yates

Some birds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species and let the host parents raise their young. A new study finds that in times of environmental flux, these brood…

Cowpea research boosts canopy CO2 assimilation, water-use efficiency

Amanda Nguyen

Crops grow dense canopies that consist of several layers of leaves--the upper layers with younger sun leaves and the lower layers with older shaded leaves that may have…

Illinois Team Tracks COVID ‘Spike’ Protein for 2020 iGEM Competition

Julie Wurth

UPDATE: The Illinois team’s “Viralizer” web tool brought home a silver medal at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) 2020…

Integration of gene regulatory networks in understanding animal behavior

Alisa King

For years, scientists have attributed animal behavior to the coordinated activities of neuronal cells and its circuits of neurons, known as the neuronal network (NN). However,…

Donovan to direct new Personalized Nutrition Initiative

Sharon Donovan and Stephanie Henry

Sharon Donovan, professor and Melissa M. Noel Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health at University of Illinois, will assume the role of director of the newly established…

Intimate partner violence, history of abuse worsen trauma for new moms

Diana Yates

A study assessed the interaction of new and old relationship traumas among women three to 18 months after the birth of their child – one of the most challenging periods of…

Diversity, equity and inclusion


Recent events, especially the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and all too many others, have left us outraged. Black Lives Matter protests against racism…

Group genomics drive aggression in honey bees

Diana Yates

Researchers often study the genomes of individual organisms to try to tease out the relationship between genes and behavior. A new study of Africanized honey bees reveals,…

Volunteers at Illinois produce supplies for 200,000 COVID-19 tests

Therese Pokorney and Dave Evensen

A collaborative effort at the University of Illinois to support COVID-19 testing is winding down, but not before it produced enough materials to support some 200,000…

Engineered immune cells recognize, attack solid-tumor cancer cells

Diana Yates

A method known as CAR-T therapy has been used successfully in patients with blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia. It modifies a patient’s own T-cells by adding a piece…