Skip to main content

News Archive

New Center for Genomic Diagnostics will reimagine disease detection technologies

Claudia Lutz

A new research center at the University of Illinois directed by Donald Biggar Willett Professor in Engineering Brian Cunningham aims to revolutionize diagnostics and…

Researchers reverse engineer interaction dynamics of microbial communities

Claudia Lutz

Scientific and public appreciation for microbes—and the key role their communal actions play in environmental health, food production, and human wellness—has grown in recent…

Student improves bioinformatics software to better analyze human DNA

Lizzie Roehrs

Human beings have around 10 trillion cells in their bodies, resulting in about 10 billion miles of DNA - almost twice the diameter of the solar system. Coordinated Science Lab…

BRIDGE-ing the gap between diagnostics and gestational diabetes

Alisa King

As a result of intersecting research interests in women’s health, a new collaboration was forged between Zeynep Madak-Erdogan (GSP/ONC-PM), Assistant Professor in Food Science…

New compounds block master regulator of cancer growth, metastasis

Diana Yates

Scientists have developed new drug compounds that thwart the pro-cancer activity of FOXM1, a transcription factor that regulates the activity of dozens of genes. The new…

For CRISPR, tweaking DNA fragments yields highest efficiency rates yet

Liz Ahlberg Touchstone

University of Illinois researchers achieved the highest reported rates of inserting genes into human cells with the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system, a necessary step for…

Scientists develop gentle, microscopic hands to study tiny, soft materials

Lois Yoksoulian

Handling very soft, delicate items without damaging them is hard enough with human hands, let alone doing it at the microscopic scale with laboratory instruments. Three new…

Single-molecule detection of cancer markers brings liquid biopsy closer to clinic

Liz Ahlberg Touchstone

A fast, inexpensive yet sensitive technique to detect cancer markers is bringing researchers closer to a “liquid biopsy" – a test using a small sample of blood or serum to…

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…