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Selective coatings create biological sensors from carbon nanotubes
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Protein-encapsulated single-walled carbon nanotubes that alter their fluorescence in the presence of specific biomolecules could generate many new types of implantable biological sensors, say researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who developed the encapsulation technique. In a paper accepted for publication in the journal Nature Materials, and posted on its […]
Shutdown of circulation pattern could be disastrous, researchers say
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – If global warming shuts down the thermohaline circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean, the result could be catastrophic climate change. The environmental effects, models indicate, depend upon whether the shutdown is reversible or irreversible. “If the thermohaline shutdown is irreversible, we would have to work much harder to get it to restart,” […]
Goal of project is development of petroleum-free fuel
Developing a petroleum-free fuel from corn byproducts is one of the goals of a newly funded research project at the UI. Eight research laboratories will pool their expertise, attacking the problems from different directions in order to work to improve the efficiency of bioconversion of plant fibers into fuels and other value-added products. This is […]
Abundance of protein in infected swine may result in reduced muscle mass
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A study looking at chronic infectious respiratory diseases that affect most swine during their critical growing stage has shed new light on the reasons for restricted weight gain and reduced muscle mass. In the November issue of the Journal of Nutrition, scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign report that the […]
New transistor laser could lead to faster signal processing
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated the laser operation of a heterojunction bipolar light-emitting transistor. The scientists describe the fabrication and operation of their transistor laser in the Nov. 15 issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters. “By incorporating quantum wells into the active region of a light-emitting […]
Study shows hands-free cell phones dangerously distracted drivers’ attention
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Driving with one hand on the wheel and another on a cell phone has led to legal restrictions and proposals to require drivers to use hands-free phones. Hello? Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have tested the hands-free approach and found that drivers – young and old – struggled to […]
Molecular technique shows promise in destroying drug resistance in bacteria
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A new approach to outwit resistance to antibiotics has been discovered by a team of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. By inserting a naturally occurring molecule into an antibiotic-resistant bacterium, the team was able to gradually destroy the machinery responsible for the resistance. “Multidrug-resistant bacteria are now ubiquitous in […]
Distinguished German astrophysicist to present public talk
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Reinhard Genzel, director of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany, will discuss black holes during a talk Nov. 17 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Genzel, who also is a professor of physics at the University of California at Berkeley, will present the seventh talk in the […]
Head of cell and structural biology department at Illinois is honored
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Martha U. Gillette of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign has been recognized for “her career achievements in neuroscience as a scientist, teacher and mentor.” She received the 2004 Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award by Women in Neuroscience during the recent Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego. […]
Five at U. of I. named Fellows of American Association for Advancement of Science
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Five faculty members of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been awarded the distinction of AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science: C.K. (Tina) Gunsalus, Paul B. Kelter, Harris A. Lewin, Benjamin W. Wah and John H. Weaver. Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon […]
Munching microbes could cleanse arsenic-contaminated groundwater
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -Microbial processes ultimately determine whether arsenic builds to dangerous levels in groundwater, say researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Remediation may be as simple as stimulating certain microbes to grow. Arsenic contamination is a serious threat to human health. In the Ganges Delta of Bangladesh, for example, chronic exposure to arsenic […]
New surface chemistry may extend life of technology for making transistors
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a technique that uses surface chemistry to make tinier and more effective p-n junctions in silicon-based semiconductors. The method could permit the semiconductor industry to significantly extend the life of current ion-implantation technology for making transistors, thereby avoiding the implementation of difficult […]