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Protein finding could lead to treatment for inflammatory diseases
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A protein that undesirably shields a skin poxvirus from the immune system may become the key ingredient in a new topical treatment for inflammatory diseases, say medical researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In a study appearing this month in the Journal of Virology, the scientists revealed both the function […]
Polymer aids in blood clotting, pointing way to new treatment
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A serendipitous comparison prompted by an old scientific image and involving an ancient but understudied molecule may lead to a new treatment strategy for injuries or illnesses in which blood clotting is paramount to survival. In a paper to appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the […]
Membrane research opens window to benefits for plants, humans
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A wilting, water-starved houseplant and flood-covered crops have something in common. That knowledge, gleaned from spinach and researchers on two continents, potentially could open the gate to advances in both plant and human health. The research, which appeared online this month in advance of regular publication by the journal Nature, involved a […]
Researchers demonstrate single molecule absorption spectroscopy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A powerful new tool for probing molecular structure on surfaces has been developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Single molecule absorption spectroscopy can enhance molecular analysis, surface manipulation and studies of molecular energy and reactivity at the atomic level. “This new measurement method combines the chemical selectivity of […]
New technique helps researchers determine amino-acid charge
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Measurements of the ion-current through the open state of a membrane-protein’s ion channel have allowed scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to obtain a detailed picture of the effect of the protein microenvironment on the affinity of ionizable amino-acid residues for protons. The findings, reported in the Dec. 15 issue […]
Stretchable silicon could be next wave in electronics
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The next wave in electronics could be wavy electronics. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a fully stretchable form of single-crystal silicon with micron-sized, wave-like geometries that can be used to build high-performance electronic devices on rubber substrates. “Stretchable silicon offers different capabilities than can be achieved with […]
Flatworm genes may provide insights into human diseases, researchers say
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Could vital information about many human diseases be deciphered from genes inside freshwater flatworms? A definitive yes is not the answer yet, but research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has provided an important advance for pursuing both that idea and the biology of stem cells. In a paper appearing online […]
Global warming could halt ocean circulation, with harmful results
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Absent any climate policy, scientists have found a 70 percent chance of shutting down the thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean over the next 200 years, with a 45 percent probability of this occurring in this century. The likelihood decreases with mitigation, but even the most rigorous immediate climate policy would […]
Climate models need deeper roots, scientists say
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – By soaking up moisture with their roots and later releasing it from their leaves, plants play an active role in regulating the climate. In fact, in vegetated ecosystems, plants are the primary channels that connect the soil to the atmosphere, with plant roots controlling the below-ground dynamics. “Most climate models assume that […]
Rivers on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, resemble those on earth
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Recent evidence from the Huygens Probe of the Cassini Mission suggests that Titan, the largest moon orbiting Saturn, is a world where rivers of liquid methane sculpt channels in continents of ice. Surface images even show gravel-sized pieces of water ice that resemble rounded stones lying in a dry riverbed on Earth. […]
Researchers solve one mystery of high-temperature superconductors
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – An experimental mystery – the origin of the insulating state in a class of materials known as doped Mott insulators – has been solved by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The solution helps explain the bizarre behavior of doped Mott insulators, such as high-temperature copper-oxide superconductors. In a paper […]
U. of I. professor recognized by Scientific American magazine
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – John Rogers, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been named to the 2005 Scientific American 50, a list of people and organizations whose contributions to science and technology are recognized by Scientific American, the nation’s premier science magazine. Rogers, who is also a […]