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How are veterinarians advancing cancer research in dogs, people?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — People are beginning to realize that dogs share a lot more with humans than just their homes and habits. Some spontaneously occurring cancers in dogs are genetically very similar to those in people and respond to treatment in similar ways. This means inventive new treatments in dogs, when effective, may also be […]

Study links influenza A viral infection to microbiome, brain gene expression changes
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a study of newborn piglets, infection with influenza A was associated with disruptions in the piglets’ nasal and gut microbiomes and with potentially detrimental changes in gene activity in the hippocampus, a brain structure that plays a central role in learning and memory. Maternal vaccination against the virus during pregnancy appeared […]

Researchers capture nanoparticle movements to forge new materials
Researchers can now observe the phonon dynamics and wave propagation in self-assembly of nanomaterials with unusual properties that rarely exist in nature. This advance will enable researchers to incorporate desired mechanical properties into reconfigurable, solution-processible metamaterials, which have wide-ranging applications — from shock absorption to devices that guide acoustic and optical energy in high-powered computer applications.

Machine-learning model reliably predicts cognitive performance
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study offers insight into the health and lifestyle indicators — including diet, physical activity and weight — that align most closely with healthy brain function across the lifespan. The study used machine learning to determine which variables best predicted a person’s ability to quickly complete a task without becoming distracted. […]

Book explores how ‘domestication’ of environmentalism limits who it protects
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The response to a 1969 oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, reveals how the modern environmental movement has been used to protect the interests of private homeowners, said a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researcher. Landscape architecture professor Pollyanna Rhee chronicled how affluent homeowners use what she calls “ownership environmentalism” […]

Fermenting legume pulses boosts their antidiabetic, antioxidant properties
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Food scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign identified the optimal fermentation conditions for pulses ― the dried edible seeds of legumes ― that increased their antioxidant and antidiabetic properties and their soluble protein content. Using the bacteria Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v as the microorganism, the team fermented pulses obtained from varying concentrations […]

Report: ‘Future-proofing’ crops will require urgent, consistent effort
Professor Stephen Long describes research efforts to “future-proof” the crops that are essential to feeding a hungry world in a changing climate.

What did the COVID shutdowns teach us about public health policy?
The COVID-19 pandemic taught public health officials that communication and trust are as crucial as technology and innovation, says University of Illinois epidemiologist Becky Smith.

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts announces ELLNORA guests, 2025-26 season performances
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Krannert Center for the Performing Arts will open its 2025-26 season Sept. 4-6 with ELLNORA: The Guitar Festival, the 11th year of the biennial festival. The performing arts center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign held its first ELLNORA festival 20 years ago. Tickets for ELLNORA events and for the season’s performances […]

Teaching about sea ice while standing on it
UTQIAQGVIK, Alaska — My boots crunch into the snow as I step onto the frozen Arctic Ocean. It’s April in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, and I’m here to help run a sea ice field trip for eighth graders and assist with some fieldwork. Around me, a network of tents — each with a story to tell about […]

Because America never forgot
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On March 11, 1944, my relative 2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly, Jr. and 10 other crew members of a B-24 bomber named “Heaven Can Wait” were declared missing in action after being shot down somewhere over the waters of Hansa Bay, Papua New Guinea. For our family, as for so many families […]

Eating craved foods with meals lessens cravings, boosts weight loss
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Food cravings are the downfall of many dieters, who feel locked in an eternal battle with their willpower to resist the tempting sweets, snacks and other foods they love. However, researchers in food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say in a new study that eating dessert may […]