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News Archive

Researchers call on conservation genomics efforts to better engage with Indigenous communities and knowledge

Claudia Lutz

Throughout human ecological history, we have played a variety of roles within ecosystems around the world. In this so-called Anthropocene era, genomic innovations have given us…

A gray wolf (Canis lupus) at Mission:Wolf Sanctuary in southern Colorado. Gray wolves remain endangered in most of the continental United States, especially the Mexican wolf subspecies (Canis lupus baileyi) which suffers from genetic bottlenecking. - Jenny Thompson

Research

Tick-borne diseases reported every month of the year and in every Illinois county

Diana Yates

A new analysis of state health department data reveals that more than 6,400 Illinois residents were diagnosed with tick-borne diseases from 2004-2022…

Pathobiology professor Becky Smith, graduate student Abrar Hussain and their colleagues analyzed state data on tick-borne diseases in humans and dogs. The study reveals hotspots of disease in various parts of the state. Photo by Fred Zwicky

Research

Shiga-producing E. coli infections becoming more resistant to antibiotics, study finds

Liz Ahlberg Touchstone

Resistance to antimicrobial agents is rising among human infections with Escherichia coli bacteria that produce the Shiga toxin, according to a…

The rise of antibiotic resistance among the type of E. coli bacteria responsible for most foodborne illness is concerning because antibiotics are not advised for the infection, suggesting that the bacteria are acquiring resistance in the environment or during the food production process, said Illinois pathobiology professor Csaba Varga. Photo by Craig Pessman

Research

What have decades of eradication efforts taught us about the New World screwworm?

Diana Yates

The value of basic science into insect biology is no more evident than when a crisis arises involving a devastating insect pest like the New World…

U. of I. entomology professor and department head May Berenbaum describes how decades of basic research into insect biology led to the successful eradication of the New World screwworm, which has recently appeared again in southern U.S. states. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Research

Study Reveals Structural Chirality as a Critical Molecular Design Parameter for Targeted Cancer Therapeutics

Jonathan King and Katie Brady

Researchers in Professor of Bioengineering Xing Wang’s (CGD) lab discovered the influential role of structural chirality, or “handedness”, of a DNA nanostructure in…

Left to right: Tingjie Song, Dhanush Gandavadi, Xing Wang, and Abhisek Dwivedy

Research

More Structural Protein Can Make Tumors Softer, the Inverse of How Lab Tumors are Made, Study Finds

Liz Ahlberg Touchstone

Higher levels of the structural proteins collagen and fibrin around a tumor counterintuitively make the tissue softer — the opposite of conventional thinking, a new study…

Engineered tumor models may be too stiff, as a study led by Illinois professor Bumsoo Han, left, and graduate student Seamus Mellican found that increased collagen and fibrin proteins characteristic of tumor environments actually make tissue softer. Photo by Michelle Hassel

Research

Illinois scientists sound the alarm on field inundation, work with farmers to find solutions

Lauren Quinn

Larry Dallas’ farm in Central Illinois’ Douglas County is as flat as it gets. That’s a good thing for planting straight rows and maneuvering farm equipment in the…

Catastrophic flooding in Central Illinois field in 2008

Research

Cancer Center at Illinois Earns Prestigious National Cancer Institute Designation

Cancer Center at Illinois

The Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) announced it has been designated as a Basic Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This national recognition places CCIL…

Phillip and Ann Sharp Director Rohit Bhargava

Research

Elephant genomes reveal a past of continental connectivity and a future of increasing isolation

Lauren Quinn

In the largest genomic study of African elephants to date, an international team of researchers analyzed 232 whole genomes from both savanna and forest elephants, collected…

"Given this history, gene flow between the species is unlikely to be beneficial, and hybrid elephants should be avoided for translocations," said Alfred Roca, professor of animal sciences / Laura Bertola

Research