News Archive
Cluster hires facilitate long-term institutional success
Ananya Sen
In light of long-standing inequities in STEM representation, many universities are now recognizing the value of diversity in higher education. Achieving such diversity involves…
Nine Illinois scientists rank among world's most influential, four from IGB
Nine researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been named to the 2022 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list, with four from the IGB. The list…
15 Years of IGB: Collaborative initiatives at the forefront of science
Shelby Lawson
One of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology’s main goals is fostering partnerships between departments across campus to encourage more trans-disciplinary research.…
Developing alginate hydrogels that can support cell growth
Ananya Sen
Encapsulating cells—both prokaryotic and eukaryotic—allows researchers to carry out experiments in hydrated environments over prolonged periods of time. However, cell growth…
New Minflux microscope improves molecule tracking in live cells
Ananya Sen
Over the past century, our understanding of cells—the basic building blocks of living organisms—has progressed largely due to microscopes. The invention of fluorescence…
Students host Owl Night outreach event for second year, and it’s a real hoot!
Shelby Lawson
Students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign once again hosted “Owl Night,” a public outreach event where people of all ages can learn about owl behavior and ecology…
Honey bees prosper with quality, not quantity, of food in novel laboratory setup
Shelby Lawson
Honey bee workers collect pollen and nectar from a variety of flowering plants to use as a food source. Honey bees typically forage from up to 1-2 miles away from the hive,…
CABBI Team Adds Powerful New Dimension to Phenotyping Next-Gen Bioenergy Crop
Julie Wurth
Miscanthus is one of the most promising perennial crops for bioenergy production since it is able to produce high yields with a small environmental footprint. This versatile…
AI, molecule machine join forces to generalize automated chemistry
Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
Artificial intelligence, “building-block” chemistry and a molecule-making machine teamed up to find the best general reaction conditions for synthesizing chemicals important to…
Fostering dialogue between scientists and faith communities
Ananya Sen
There are several daunting challenges that our society has to collectively face in the coming decades, including climate change, food insecurity, and the spread of infectious…
IGB Gene Drive aims to broaden science accessibility
Ananya Sen
Advances in genomic studies have now permeated all aspects of our lives from agriculture to health and wellness. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to help the…
Collaborative team at IGB discovers new natural products at unprecedented speed
Shelby Lawson
Many of the drugs we utilize in modern medicine are naturally produced by microbes. Penicillin, an antibiotic derived from certain molds, is one of the most notable natural…