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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Health + Wellness

Every person or animal that suffers from ill health and every pathogen that causes disease has its own genome. Research in this area examines how genome function directs the development of healthy bodies and how disorders disrupt that function.

Exploring the genomes of the microbes we live with also allows us to discover the molecular tools they use to aid or attack their hosts or to fight each other, knowledge that can act as a pathway to well-being.

Featured Stories

U. of I. psychology professor Brent Roberts, pictured, and his co-author, University of Toronto psychology professor Michael Inzlicht, argue that psychological science sometimes overemphasizes the role of willpower in human success and well-being. The personality trait “conscientiousness” is a better predictor of success, they write in a new review. Photo by Fred Zwicky
Research
Report: Conscientiousness, not willpower, is a reliable predictor of success
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Researchers in the lab Inspired by the evolution of some of the earliest lifeforms, University of Illinois professor Angad Mehta, left, Yang-Le Gao and Bidhan De led a proof-of-concept study verifying that natural metabolic processes within cyanobacteria-yeast hybrids can be bioengineered to produce important hydrocarbons and pharmaceutical precursors.
Research
Scientists use evolution to bioengineer new pathways to sustainable energy, pharmaceuticals
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The current work was done as part of a larger research study aimed at examining the feasibility of using saliva-based testing in five K-12 schools in Illinois.
Research
Researchers investigate parent perceptions of virtual learning
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Channel catfish had the highest accumulation of PFAS in their tissues, the researchers found.
Research
PFAS found in nearly all fish tested from four northern Illinois rivers
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Study authors Adrienne Antonson (left) and Ashley Otero
Research
Fetal brain impacted when mom fights severe flu: New mouse study explains how
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Scanning electron micrograph of Salmonella Typhimurium invading a human epithelial cell. S.Typhimurium has been decreasing in prevalence due to vaccinations by the poultry industry. Photo credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Research
Rising antimicrobial resistance in certain Salmonella serovars isolated from retail chicken meat
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