News Archive
Predicting microbial interactions in the human gut
Ananya Sen
The human gut consists of a complex community of microbes that consume and secrete hundreds of small molecules—a phenomenon called cross-feeding. However, it is challenging to…
Division of labor within regenerating liver maintains metabolism, mouse study finds
Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
The liver has a rare superpower among body organs – the ability to regenerate, even if 70% of its mass is removed. It also keeps up its metabolic and toxin-removing work during…
Advances in Brain Cancer Research Leads to $3M NCI Award
Jordan Goebig
Several Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) and IGB members are joining forces with scientists from the Mayo Clinic and Georgetown University on an expansive project targeting…
Using a multipronged approach to investigate the diet of ancient dogs
Ananya Sen
Coprolites, or fossilized dog feces, are often used to understand the dietary preferences of ancient civilizations. However, the samples are often contaminated, making the…
CABBI Challenges CRP Status Quo, Mitigates Fossil Fuels
Jenna Kurtzweil
Researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) found that transitioning land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to…
Direct cloning method CAPTUREs novel microbial natural products
Alisa King-Klemperer
Microorganisms possess natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that may harbor unique bioactivities for use in drug development and agricultural applications. However…
3D microscopy clarifies understanding of body's immune response to obesity
Lois Yoksoulian
Researchers who focus on fat know that some adipose tissue is more prone to inflammation-related comorbidities than others, but the reasons why are not well understood. Thanks…
Bioenergy Researchers Accurately Measure Photosynthesis from Space
Jenna Kurtzweil
As most of us learned in school, plants use sunlight to synthesize carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into carbohydrates in a process called photosynthesis. But nature’s “factories…
Quantum leaps in understanding how living corals survive
Ananya Sen
Coral reefs have thrived for millions of years in their shallow ocean water environments due to their unique partnerships with the algae that live in their tissues. Corals…