News Archive
Comparing the pathogen numbers in backyard and commercial composts
Ananya Sen
Compost—organic material that is added to soil to help plants grow—is widely used by gardeners because it improves soil health and reduces the amount of organic waste in…
New imaging, machine-learning methods can reduce crops’ need for water
Diana Yates
Scientists have developed and deployed a series of new imaging and machine-learning tools to discover attributes that contribute to water-use efficiency in crop plants during…
10 IGB members receive Presidential Medallion
U of I System
University of Illinois President Tim Killeen on Monday honored 28 key leaders of the system’s COVID-19 response with the Presidential Medallion, including 10 from the IGB. The…
Bioprocess developed for converting plant materials into valuable chemicals
Sharita Forrest
A team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a bioprocess using engineered yeast that completely and efficiently converted plant matter…
Exploring RNA Splicing’s Role in Liver Cancer
Jordan Goebig
When Auinash Kalsotra (CGD/GNDP), member of the Cancer Center at Illinois, Associate Professor and the William C. Rose Scholar of Biochemistry, attended college at Birla…
Pollen Power concludes its first online camp
Ananya Sen
The Pollen Power camp, which takes place over the summer, targets 6th-8th grade students from underrepresented populations in STEM with the goal of training them to observe…
Some birds steal hair from living mammals
Diana Yates
Dozens of online videos document an unusual behavior among tufted titmice and their closest bird kin. A bird will land on an unsuspecting mammal and, cautiously and stealthily…
iGEM 2021: Designing better enzymes to break down plastic
Ananya Sen
Polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, is a type of plastic that is widely used for packaging food and beverages, including soft drinks, juices, and water. Although PET is the…
$2.4M NIH grant will develop biomaterials to repair skulls, promote regeneration
Claire Benjamin
A new research project led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aims to develop biomaterials that are strong, malleable, and support stem cell growth to transform…