A new study shows that it is possible to use mechanical force to deliberately alter chemical reactions and increase chemical selectivity – a grand challenge of the field.  

Materials that contain special polymer molecules may someday be able to warn us when they are about to fail, researchers said. Engineers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have improved their previously developed force-sensitive molecules, called mechanophores, to produce reversible, rapid and vibrant color change when a force is applied.

Four faculty members, including two from the IGB, have been selected for endowed chairs deemed to be among the most distinguished honors on the campus. Stephen P. Long, a professor of plant biology and crop sciences from our Genomic Ecology of Global Change theme, and Jeffrey S.