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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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Low-cost climate-change insurance could help ensure better future
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Doing a little now to mitigate long-term climate change would cost much less than doing nothing and making an adjustment in the future, say scientists whose paper appears in the Oct. 15 issue of the journal Science. Implementing a carbon tax of five cents per gallon of gasoline and gradually increasing the […]
Safety of isoflavones in dietary supplements targeted by Illinois initiative
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A multidisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is embarking on a comprehensive five-year study of the effects of soy isoflavones found in dietary supplements on various body tissues. At the heart of the project is the safety of phytoestrogens – estrogen-like compounds in plants that are generally […]
At molecular scale, vibrational couplings define heat conduction
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Too much heat can destroy a sturdy automobile engine or a miniature microchip. As scientists and engineers strive to make ever-smaller nanoscale devices, from molecular motors and switches to single-molecule transistors, the control of heat is becoming a burning issue. The shapes of molecules really matter, say scientists from the University of […]
Strano named one of the world’s top young innovators by Technology Review
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Michael S. Strano, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been chosen as one of the world’s 100 Top Young Innovators by Technology Review, the world’s oldest technology magazine. Selected by the magazine published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the TR100 comprises people […]