News Archive
Labor, Health, Equity, Action Project (LHEAP)
The Labor, Health, Equity, Action Project (LHEAP) is a team of interdisciplinary researchers from across University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, coalescing in the Infection…
Biologists shed light on how microbes evolve, affect hosts
Sean Bettam, University of Toronto
The era of COVID-19 and the need to constantly wash one's hands and sanitize things have brought microbes to new levels of scrutiny, particularly for their impact on an…
Acid-tolerant yeast model helps guide industrial organic acid production
Liam Jackson, Penn State
Microbes and other microscopic organisms could serve as sustainable “factories” to create many types of industrial materials because they naturally convert nutrients…
Lassogen raises $4.5M in seed round to develop novel therapeutics
Alisa King
Although small molecule drugs and antibodies continue to be the standard for cancer treatment, a new class of therapeutics — lasso peptides — may prove effective, especially…
30 years of experiments simulate future crop climate response
Claire Benjamin
Five years ago, the United Nations committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030. Since then, however, world hunger has continued to rise.…
Nelson awarded $4.5M to study prevention, treatment of breast cancer
Alisa King
Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology Erik Nelson (ACPP) has won a $4.5M Era of Hope Scholar Award from the United States Department of Defense (DoD) Breast Cancer…
Illinois study tracks evolution of SARS-CoV-2 virus mutations
Lauren Quinn
Since COVID-19 began its menacing march across Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and then across the world, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has taken a “whatever works” strategy to ensure…
Congress must clarify limits of gene-editing technologies
Phil Ciciora
Genome editing of human embryos represents one of the most contentious potential scientific applications today. But what if geneticists could sidestep the controversy by…
Octopus-inspired sucker transfers thin, delicate tissue grafts, biosensors
Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
Thin tissue grafts and flexible electronics have a host of applications for wound healing, regenerative medicine and biosensing. A new device inspired by an octopus’s sucker…
Study on how bacteria obtain essential nutrients in soil, during infection
Maddie Blaauw and the MCB Communications Office
Much like humans eat food in order to obtain essential nutrients, bacteria acquire nutrients by importing them. An essential nutrient for life is zinc, which cannot be…
CRISPR-induced immune diversification in host-virus populations
Alisa King
Just like humans, microbes have equipped themselves with tools to recognize and defend themselves against viral invaders. In a continual evolutionary battle between virus and…
Exercise and nutrition regimen benefits physical, cognitive health
Diana Yates
Researchers studied the effects of a 12-week exercise regimen on 148 active-duty Air Force airmen, half of whom also received a twice-daily nutrient beverage that included…