News Archive
MAGIC system allows researchers to modulate activity of genes acting in concert
Claudia Lutz
Genomic research has unlocked the capability to edit the genomes of living cells; yet so far, the effects of such changes must be examined in isolation. In contrast, the…
Mathematical models provide snapshot of human gut microbial community
Alisa King
Microbial communities can be found everywhere – from lakes to the soil on the ground, they are omnipresent yet invisible to the naked eye. Within those environments there exist…
iGEM Team: Cleaning up our Crops
April Wendling
Herbicides are an integral component of modern farming. However, glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the United States and the main ingredient in formulations like…
By imaging brain, scientists can predict aptitude for training
Diana Yates
People with specific brain attributes are more likely than others to benefit from targeted cognitive interventions designed to enhance fluid intelligence, scientists report in…
Structurally designed 'DNA star' creates ultrasensitive test for dengue virus
Liz Ahlberg Touchstone, adapted from content provided by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
By folding snippets of DNA into the shape of a five-pointed star using structural DNA nanotechnology, researchers have created a trap that captures dengue virus as it floats in…
Study tracks genomic changes that reinforce darter speciation
Diana Yates
When they share habitat, orangethroat and rainbow darters tend to avoid one another, even though they are closely related and can produce “hybrid” offspring. The males compete…
Eight Illinois researchers rank among world’s most influential
Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
Eight faculty members at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been named to the 2019 Highly Cited Researchers list, a global listing of scientists who produced…
Dozens of potential new antibiotics discovered with free online app
Diana Yates
A new web tool speeds the discovery of drugs to kill Gram-negative bacteria, which are responsible for the vast majority of antibiotic-resistant infections and deaths. The tool…
Signature call in cowbirds is the password that unlocks song learning
Claudia Lutz
They say it takes a village to raise a child. But if you are a cowbird, left by your parents to be hatched and raised in the nest of unwitting foster parents, how do you know…
Artificial intelligence to run the chemical factories of the future
Lois Yoksoulian
A new proof-of-concept study details how an automated system driven by artificial intelligence can design, build, test and learn complex biochemical pathways to efficiently…
Smartphone diagnostics kit for infectious diseases
Kim Gudeman
Infectious diseases such as Zika and Dengue remain a top contributor to death and disability across the globe, according to the World Health Organization. Diagnosing and…
Online tool speeds response to elephant poaching by tracing ivory to source
Diana Yates
A new tool uses an interactive database of geographic and genetic information to help authorities quickly identify where the confiscated tusks of African elephants were…