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Study brings scientists a step closer to successfully growing plants in space
New, highly stretchable sensors can monitor and transmit plant growth information without human intervention, report University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers in the journal Device. The polymer sensors are resilient to humidity and temperature, can stretch over 400% while remaining attached to a plant as it grows and send a wireless signal to a remote monitoring […]
First atom-level structure of packaged viral genome reveals new properties, dynamics
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A computational model of the more than 26 million atoms in a DNA-packed viral capsid expands our understanding of virus structure and DNA dynamics, insights that could provide new research avenues and drug targets, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report in the journal Nature. “To fight a virus, we want to know […]
Earliest-yet Alzheimer’s biomarker found in mouse model could point to new targets
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A surge of a neural-specific protein in the brain is the earliest-yet biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease, report University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers studying a mouse model of the disease. Furthermore, the increased protein activity leads to the seizures associated with the earliest stages of neurodegeneration, and inhibiting the protein in the mice […]
Mice study suggests metabolic diseases may be driven by gut microbiome, loss of ovarian hormones
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The gut microbiome interacts with the loss of female sex hormones to exacerbate metabolic disease, including weight gain, fat in the liver and the expression of genes linked with inflammation, researchers found in a new rodent study. The findings, published in the journal Gut Microbes, may shed light on why women are […]
Insect Fear Film Festival features ‘Ant-Men’ – movies about humans shrunk to size of ants
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 2024 Insect Fear Film Festival will bring its audience a bug’s-eye view of the world. The festival’s theme is “Ant-Men,” and it will feature films in which humans are shrunk to the size of ants and participate in ant societies. The 41st annual festival is Feb. 24 at Foellinger Auditorium at […]
Study: ‘Legacy’ phosphorus delays water quality improvements in Gulf of Mexico
The same phosphorous that fertilizes the thriving agriculture of the Midwest is also responsible for a vast “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico near the Mississippi Delta. Efforts to reduce the amount of phosphorus that enters the Mississippi River system are underway, but research led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests that remnants […]
Microbial division of labor produces higher biofuel yields
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists have found a way to boost ethanol production via yeast fermentation, a standard method for converting plant sugars into biofuels. Their approach, detailed in the journal Nature Communications, relies on careful timing and a tight division of labor among synthetic yeast strains to yield more ethanol per unit of plant sugars […]
Back from the dead: Tropical tree fern repurposes its dead leaves
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Plant biologists report that a species of tree fern found only in Panama reanimates its own dead leaf fronds, converting them into root structures that feed the mother plant. The fern, Cyathea rojasiana, reconfigures these “zombie leaves,” reversing the flow of water to draw nutrients back into the plant. The findings are […]
Will 2024 be the year of the cicada in Illinois?
According to the experts, 2024 will be an eventful year with the emergence of two periodical cicada broods across most parts of the state. Cicada expert Catherine Dana, an affiliate of the Illinois Natural History Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, spoke with News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates about what to expect […]
Higher acetaminophen intake in pregnancy linked to attention deficits in young children
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study links increased use of acetaminophen during pregnancy – particularly in the second trimester – to modest but noticeable increases in problems with attention and behavior in 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds. The study adds to a growing body of evidence linking the frequent use of acetaminophen in pregnancy to developmental […]
Study: Acetaminophen use during pregnancy linked to language delays in children
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Acetaminophen is considered the safest over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer available during pregnancy, and studies show that 50%-65% of women in North America and Europe have taken the analgesic during pregnancy. A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explored the relationship between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and […]
In TED Talk, Long describes three photosynthetic changes that boost crop yields
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a newly released TED Talk, Stephen Long, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of plant biology and crop sciences, detailed his and his colleagues’ efforts to boost photosynthesis in crop plants. He described three interventions, each of which increased crop yields by 20% or more. Long is the director of the […]