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Study identifies gene clusters in rhizobia linked to robust legume growth
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a new study, scientists used nearly every tool in their toolkit — genomics, transcriptomics, greenhouse experiments and advanced statistical methods — to gain new insight into the complex chemical interactions that take place in underground root nodules, where legumes like soybeans exchange vital nutrients with soil microbes called rhizobia. Reported in […]
Map-making neurons change even in familiar settings, study finds
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Neurobiologists at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found the brain’s internal GPS changes each time mice navigate a familiar, static environment. Even when a mouse walks the same path every day — and the path and surrounding conditions remain identical — each journey activates different “map-making” neurons in the […]
Beyond the mammogram: Study finds differences between benign and cancerous breast calcifications
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Benign and cancerous calcium phosphate deposits that may look identical on a mammogram have distinct differences in their structures and formation processes, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Texas at Austin found in a new study that provides the first detailed […]
Flightpath Biosciences licenses microbiome-sparing antibiotic developed at Illinois
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Flightpath Biosciences, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of precision therapeutics targeting bacterial pathogens, has licensed a class of antibiotics developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The original antibiotic agent, lolamicin, effectively treated bacterial infections in animal models of disease — without wiping out beneficial microbes in […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Review: Social drinking also a well-worn path to alcohol use disorder
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When picturing a “typical” alcoholic, people tend to imagine a person drinking at home alone. But that focus overlooks the social origins of many serious alcohol problems, say the authors of a new review paper in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science. “Evidence for the centrality of social motives in problem […]
New approach makes AI adaptable for computer vision in crop breeding
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists developed a machine-learning tool that can teach itself, with minimal external guidance, to differentiate between aerial images of flowering and nonflowering grasses — an advance that will greatly increase the pace of agricultural field research, they say. The work was conducted using images of thousands of varieties of Miscanthus grasses, each […]
Omnivorous? Vegan? Makes no difference to muscle building after weight training, study finds
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study asked three questions about muscle protein synthesis in response to a nine-day diet and weight training regimen: First, does the source of protein — plant or animal-based — make any difference to muscle gain? Second, does it matter if total daily protein intake is evenly distributed throughout the day? […]
First-Generation Scholars Research Program provides research experience and more
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Before arriving on campus, first-year University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student Andy Granados voiced the concerns that many students coming to a large university face. “Before I started freshman year, I was scared,” Granados said. “I’m not as social as other people. I don’t really know how to connect with my professors, so […]