[ 2018-01 ] There is remarkable biodiversity in all but the most extreme ecosystems on Earth. When many species are competing for the same finite resource, a theory called competitive…

[ 2018-01 ] “Only connect”—E. M. Forster’s pithy quotation captures an essential feature of any society, human or animal: the patterns of interactions among individuals out of which…

[ 2017-12 ] Illinois research uncovers cross-system signaling activity by growth factors that direct blood vessel growth and influence the progression of cancer, stroke recovery, and other…

[ 2017-12 ] Scott Fisher believes learning how to solve a problem can be as valuable as solving one. This belief is what drove him to create a fund that will support IGB research in the area…

[ 2017-12 ] An abundant enzyme in marine microbes may be responsible for production of the greenhouse gas. The following is a modified version of an article that originally appeared on MIT…

[ 2017-12 ] Biomarker, the annual IGB magazine, is now available! Featuring selected articles on the research, outreach, faculty and accomplishments from the past year, a copy can be…

[ 2017-12 ] There is still much to understand about the dynamics of bacterial communities in the human gut, as well as how bacteria behave en masse in a biofilm, a collective of…

[ 2017-12 ] A new study finds that viruses share some genes exclusively with cells that are not their hosts. The study, reported in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, adds to the evidence…

[ 2017-11 ] Sergei Maslov, a professor of bioengineering and physics at the University of Illinois, sees a “universe in a grain of sand.” His research seeks to explore that universe by…

[ 2017-11 ] A novel method developed by a group of IGB researchers could change the way metabolic engineering is done. Researchers from the IGB’s Biosystems Design theme, including Steven L.…

[ 2017-11 ] A drug that spurs cancer cells to self-destruct has been cleared for use in a clinical trial of patients with anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare malignant brain tumor, and…

[ 2017-11 ] The top leaves of crops absorb far more light than they can use, starving lower leaves of light. Scientists designed plants with light green leaves with hopes of allowing more…

[ 2017-11 ] Centuries of study have yielded many theories about how the brain gives rise to human intelligence. Some neuroscientists think intelligence springs from a single region or neural…

[ 2017-11 ] For decades, scientists have used the natural processes in cells to create useful products such as chemicals and biofuels.  This process, known as metabolic engineering, modifies…

[ 2017-11 ] Five faculty members at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been named to the 2017 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list (previously known as the…

[ 2017-11 ] A genomic study of Puerto Rico's Africanized honey bees - which are more docile than other so-called "killer bees" - reveals that they retain most of the genetic traits of their…

[ 2017-11 ] Embedded in our society is a cultural memory of the old-time family doctor, a medical practitioner who knows of your family, your history, and your daily life, and uses that…

[ 2017-11 ] Plants evolved over millions of years into an environment that has dramatically changed in the last 150 years since the Industrial Revolution began: carbon dioxide levels have…

[ 2017-11 ] A new study, published in mBio, exposes a zinc-import system in bacteria that could contribute to their ability to cause infection. The study looked at how the bacterium…

[ 2017-10 ] Vastly expanding sugarcane production in Brazil for conversion to ethanol could reduce current global carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 5.6 percent, researchers report in the…