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Rare blue poppy among highlights of event at U. of I. Plant Biology Conservatory
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Area flower lovers are invited to get a close-up look at one of the world’s rare, true blue flowers, the Meconopsis (mee-koh-NOP-sis), known more widely as the Himalayan blue poppy, Saturday and Sunday (March 19-20) at the Plant Biology Conservatory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The “Himalayan Blue Poppy Show” […]
Carver Trust grant to advance molecular studies at Illinois
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Rapidly advancing tools let researchers amass oceans of biological data – so much so that fishing out the meaning is as daunting as climbing a mountain without gear. A new $3.15 million, three-year grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, however, will make the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a national […]
Temperature inside collapsing bubble four times that of sun
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Using a technique employed by astronomers to determine stellar surface temperatures, chemists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have measured the temperature inside a single, acoustically driven collapsing bubble. Their results seem out of this world. “When bubbles in a liquid get compressed, the insides get hot – very hot,” said […]
Bugs, even the ‘bad’ ones, can be educationally beneficial, new book says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – We have much to learn from bad bugs, according to Gilbert Waldbauer, whose book “Insights From Insects: What Bad Bugs Can Teach Us” was published today (Prometheus Books). “We know a lot about pests, because so much money is spent on their research,” said Waldbauer, professor emeritus of entomology at the University […]
Chemists synthesize molecule that helps body battle cancers, malaria
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The first synthesis of QS-21A, a medicinally important molecule that helps the body battle disease, has been achieved by chemists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In clinical trials, QS-21A has been shown to significantly improve the body’s immune response in vaccine therapies against aggressive diseases such as melanoma, breast cancer, […]
High-fidelity patterns form spontaneously when solvent evaporates
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Resembling neatly stacked rows of driftwood abandoned by receding tides, particles left by a confined, evaporating droplet can create beautiful and complex patterns. The natural, pattern-forming process could find use in fields such as nanotechnology and optoelectronics. “A lot of work in nanotechnology has been directed toward the bottom-up imposition of patterns […]
High-intensity ultrasound creates hollow nanospheres and nanocrystals
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Using high-intensity ultrasound, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created hollow nanospheres and the first hollow nanocrystals. The nanospheres could be used in microelectronics, drug delivery and as catalysts for making environmentally friendly fuels. “We use high-intensity ultrasound to generate nanoparticles of molybdenum disulfide or molybdenum oxide, which bind […]
Illinois student programmers to compete in ‘Battle of the Brains’
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Three computer science students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will travel to Shanghai, China, April 3-7 to participate in the Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest. The students, John Carrino, Stephen Downing and Jeffrey Tamer, defeated teams from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Tennessee to earn […]
Chemical analysis of mushrooms shows their nutritional benefits
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – An analysis of previously uncharted chemical contents, mostly carbohydrates, in U.S.-consumed mushrooms shows that these fruity edible bodies of fungi could be tailored into dietary plans to help fill various nutritional needs. Using modern analytic tools, scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that the six mushroom varieties tested – […]
National Science Olympiad to take place May 20-21 at Illinois
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – About 2,400 students in middle school and high school are expected to compete in the 21st annual National Science Olympiad May 20-21 at the University of Illinois. The students, representing more than 120 teams of champions from across the country, will compete in more than three dozen events, such as bridge building, […]
Research focusing on why estrogenic hormones produce differing results
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – New research is shedding light on why estrogenic hormones produce unintended results in women, giving hope to the idea that new drugs might reach their targets and work more effectively. Ultimately it could mean that postmenopausal women would know that hormone-replacement therapy would have only its intended result. “It’s very difficult right […]
Engineering Open House at Illinois highlights creativity
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Wild and wacky Rube Goldberg machines, robots launching mini basketballs, and more than 130 entertaining and educational exhibits are among the attractions awaiting visitors to the 85th annual Engineering Open House at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The event, organized by students in the Engineering Council at Illinois, will take place […]