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Researchers illuminate gaps in public transportation access, equity
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Public transit systems offering broad coverage of stops and routes may still underserve the communities that rely on them the most, according to a new University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study. The study, by former civil and environmental engineering student Dale Robbennolt and Applied Research Institute senior research scientist Ann-Perry Witmer, applies contextual […]
Seven Illinois faculty members elected to AAAS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Seven professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been elected 2022 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Physics professor James Eckstein, psychology professor Kara Federmeier, atmospheric sciences professor Atul Jain, chemistry professor Liviu Mirica, computer science professor Grigore Rosu, mechanical science and engineering professor M. Taher Saif, […]
Geothermal ‘battery’ repurposes abandoned oil and gas well in Illinois, researchers report
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have successfully demonstrated efficient geothermal heat storage while simultaneously repurposing an abandoned oil and gas well. A new study, led by civil and environmental engineering professor Tugce Baser, is the first field investigation of a geothermal energy storage system within the Illinois Basin – a […]
Click beetle-inspired robots jump using elastic energy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Researchers have made a significant leap forward in developing insect-sized jumping robots capable of performing tasks in the small spaces often found in mechanical, agricultural and search-and-rescue settings. A new study led by mechanical science and engineering professor Sameh Tawfick demonstrates a series of click beetle-sized robots small enough to fit […]
Microelectronics give researchers a remote control for biological robots
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — First, they walked. Then, they saw the light. Now, miniature biological robots have gained a new trick: remote control. The hybrid “eBiobots” are the first to combine soft materials, living muscle and microelectronics, said researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University and collaborating institutions. They described their centimeter-scale biological machines […]
Researchers propose new structures to harvest untapped source of fresh water
An almost limitless supply of fresh water exists in the form of water vapor above Earth’s oceans, yet remains untapped, researchers said. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the first to suggest an investment in new infrastructure capable of harvesting oceanic water vapor as a solution to limited supplies of fresh […]
Organizing nanoparticles into pinwheel shapes offers new twist on engineered materials
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —Researchers have developed a new strategy to help build materials with unique optical, magnetic, electronic and catalytic properties. These pinwheel-shaped structures self-assemble from nanoparticles and exhibit a characteristic called chirality – one of nature’s strategies to build complexity into structures at all scales, from molecules to galaxies. Nature is rich with examples […]
Nine Illinois scientists rank among world’s most influential
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Nine researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been named to the 2022 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list. The list recognizes research scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated exceptional influence – reflected through their publication of multiple papers frequently cited by their peers during the last decade. This year’s […]
Previously unseen processes reveal path to better rechargeable battery performance
To design better rechargeable ion batteries, engineers and chemists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign collaborated to combine a powerful new electron microscopy technique and data mining to visually pinpoint areas of chemical and physical alteration within ion batteries. A study led by materials science and engineering professors Qian Chen and Jian-Min Zuo is the […]
What is place-based adaptation to climate change?
A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll states that roughly half of registered voters say climate change is either “very important” or “one of the most important issues” in their vote for Congress this year. However, many citizens struggle to understand their place in this global issue. Applied Research Institute senior research scientist Ann-Perry Witmer, also […]
DNA nets capture COVID-19 virus in low-cost rapid-testing platform
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Tiny nets woven from DNA strands can ensnare the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, lighting up the virus for a fast-yet-sensitive diagnostic test – and also impeding the virus from infecting cells, opening a new possible route to antiviral treatment, according to a new study. Researchers at the University […]
Deformation fingerprints will help researchers identify, design better metallic materials
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Engineers can now capture and predict the strength of metallic materials subjected to cycling loading, or fatigue strength, in a matter of hours – not the months or years it takes using current methods. In a new study, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report that automated high-resolution electron imaging can […]