News Archive
Genomic study reveals evolutionary secrets of banyan tree
Diana Yates
The banyan fig tree Ficus microcarpa is famous for its aerial roots, which sprout from branches and eventually reach the soil. The tree also has a unique relationship…
Cancer compound leads to major licensing deal
Jordan Goebig
Researchers affiliated with the Cancer Center at Illinois and the IGB discovered a novel small molecule compound that is now the subject of a new global licensing agreement…
Gene expression altered by direction of forces acting on cell
Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
Tissues and cells in the human body are subjected to a constant push and pull – strained by other cells, blood pressure and fluid flow, to name a few. The type and direction of…
Do-it-yourself COVID-19 vaccines fraught with public health problems
Phil Ciciora
Well-intentioned “citizen scientists” developing homemade COVID-19 vaccines may believe they’re inoculating themselves against the ongoing pandemic, but the practice of self-…
Most homemade masks doing a great job, study finds
Lois Yoksoulian
Studies indicate that homemade masks help combat the spread of viruses like COVID-19 when combined with frequent hand-washing and physical distancing. Many of these studies…
Novel phage alters transcriptome of a common human gut microbe
Alisa King
The human gut is home to a dense and diverse microbial community that represents a vital component of human health, development, and disease states. Within those communities,…
Cholesterol metabolite causes immune system to attack T cells, not breast cancer
Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
In breast cancer tumors, a molecule produced when the body breaks down cholesterol hijacks the myeloid immune cells that normally arm T cells to fight cancer, a new study in…
ARPA-E awards $4.5M to develop commercial carbon credit tools
Lauren Quinn
The University of Illinois has been awarded $4.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) through its “Systems for…
Cell-autonomous immunity shaped human evolution
Diana Yates
Every human cell harbors its own defenses against microbial invaders, relying on strategies that date back to some of the earliest events in the history of life, researchers…
New IGB Research Theme Aims To Improve Reproductive Health
Alisa King
Environmental exposures, particularly during pregnancy, can have long-lasting and devastating health impacts and exert long-ranging effects on maternal and child health.…
Collaborative team awarded $12.5 million for new NSF Biology Integration Institute
GEMS
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a five-year, $12.5 million grant to integrate biology to a collaborative team based in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic…
Portable, point-of-care COVID-19 test could bypass the lab
Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
As COVID-19 continues to spread, bottlenecks in supplies and laboratory personnel have led to long waiting times for results in some areas. In a new study, University of…