Block I logo
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Biosystems Design theme engineers microorganisms and plants to help overcome hurdles in health and sustainability.

Read More About BSD

Featured Stories

Stephen Long, Stanley O. Ikenberry Endowed Chair Emeritus (deceased)
Research
Tracing a path through photosynthesis to food security
Read
Illinois researcher Diwaker Shukla shows how deep learning and large-scale computer simulations can help lead the search for safe synthetic cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals. Photo by Fred Zwicky
Research
New computer simulation could light the way to safer cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals
Read
Illinois professor Ying Diao led a multi-institutional study that positions synthetic polymers as a potential alternative to expensive, unsustainable minerals for use in semiconductors and other electronic devices. Photo by Brian Stauffer
Research
Study finds that tweaked synthetic polymers boost conductivity
Read
Twelve Illinois scientists rank among world's most influential
Research
Twelve Illinois scientists rank among world's most influential
Read
EZSpecificity combines extensive new enzyme-substrate docking data and a new machine learning algorithm to predict the best pairing for making a desired product, with up to 91.7% accuracy. Illinois professor Huimin Zhao led the study
Research
New AI tool helps match enzymes to substrates
Read
Left image: First author of the study Xuenan Mi received an award in 2024 for her work on LassoESM. Right image: Professor Doug Mitchell, Professor Diwakar Shukla, and Susanna Barrett
Research
Learning the language of lasso peptides to improve peptide engineering
Read