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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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

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Researchers genetically engineered the metabolic pathways in yeast to produce oxalic acid, which can be used to extract free rare earth elements from low-grade ore. Graphic courtesy Dan Herchek/LLNL
Research
Engineered yeast gives the U.S. a green edge in the critical minerals market
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Diwakar Shukla, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering
Research
Shukla receives Pivot Research Award to advance next-generation crop engineering
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Researchers used microbes to convert plastic waste into pyruvate, an essential energy source for microbes that use it to generate other useful products. As a proof-of-concept experiment, they converted polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, from plastic bottles into the blue dye indigoidine. Photo by Fred Zwicky
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Microbial assembly line makes plastic upcycling programmable
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Soybean cyst nematode. Image credit Esmaeil Miraeiz.
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Comprehensive genetic library for soybean cyst nematode could renew resistance, profitability for soybean growers
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The biocatalyst developed by Wei's laboratory enables the recovery of phosphate, a vital plant nutrient, from biorefinery wastewater. / Katie Brady
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Renewable biological catalyst carries the potential to transform wastewater into phosphorus resource
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The research team included (from left) Postdoctoral Researcher Yujie Yuan, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Huimin Zhao, PhD student Wesley Harrison, Postdoctoral Researcher Zhengyi Zhang, and Postdoctoral Researcher Maolin Li (not pictured)
Research
Researchers enable microorganisms to build molecules with light
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