Science and Technology
Categories
Not sure where to start? Choose a topic below.
Book prepares K-12 leaders for the next public health crisis
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a new book, a team of experts in educational policy, epidemiology and public health chronicles the challenges faced by educators, public health authorities and school officials during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers a guide to some of the lessons learned as K-12 schools weathered that crisis. One key message: Collaboration between […]
What should consumers know about the current health care debate?
Those who wish to overturn the Affordable Care Act have struggled for years to replace it. If Congress fails to pass a better plan or extend ACA subsidies, insurance premiums will skyrocket for millions of Americans next year. The alternative, a proposal to expand health savings accounts, is even more problematic, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign health and kinesiology professor emeritus Thomas O’Rourke.
New computer simulation could light the way to safer cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals
New psychoactive substances, originally developed as potential analgesics but abandoned due to adverse side effects, may still have pharmaceutical value if researchers could nail down the causes of those side effects. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign used deep learning and large-scale computer simulations to identify structural differences in synthetic cannabinoid molecules that cause them to bind to human brain receptors differently from classical cannabinoids.
Study finds that tweaked synthetic polymers boost conductivity
A new study marks a significant step forward in positioning synthetic polymers as an alternative for expensive, unsustainable minerals used in the manufacture of devices such as conductors, transistors and diodes.
Study shows new hope for commercially attractive lithium extraction from spent batteries
A new study shows that lithium — a critical element used in rechargeable batteries and susceptible to supply chain disruption — can be recovered from battery waste using an electrochemically driven recovery process. The method has been tested on commonly used types of lithium-containing batteries and demonstrates economic viability with the potential to simplify operations, minimize costs and increase the sustainability and attractiveness of the recovery process for commercial use.
Study: A cellular protein, FGD3, boosts breast cancer chemotherapy, immunotherapy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A naturally occurring protein that tends to be expressed at higher levels in breast cancer cells boosts the effectiveness of some anticancer agents, including doxorubicin, one of the most widely used chemotherapies, and a preclinical drug known as ErSO, researchers report. The protein, FGD3, contributes to the rupture of cancer cells disrupted […]
Book looks at treasure trove of scientific data from 19th-century HMS Challenger voyage
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The voyage of the HMS Challenger in the 1870s was a sprawling 3-1/2-year expedition to explore the world’s oceans. The scientists aboard the vessel collected 100,000 specimens of sea creatures, discovered 5,000 new species, mapped the ocean floors and took hundreds of measurements of sea temperature and chemistry that formed the basis […]
Is unintentional bias changeable?
Psychology professor Benedek Kurdi proposes a fresh approach to confronting implicit, or unintentional, bias in diverse organizations. He speaks about the problems associated with efforts to “train” the bias out of people and offers practical guidelines for those hoping to establish a more inclusive, welcoming atmosphere in their organizations.
Atom-scale stencil patterns help nanoparticles take new shapes and learn new tricks
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Inspired by an artist’s stencils, researchers have developed atomic-level precision patterning on nanoparticle surfaces, allowing them to “paint” gold nanoparticles with polymers to give them an array of new shapes and functions. The “patchy nanoparticles” developed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers and collaborators at the University of Michigan and Penn State […]
Illinois chemist named 2025 Packard Fellow
Benjamin Snyder, a professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been named a 2025 Packard Fellow by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Photo by Holly Birch Photography
Building a living laboratory on a lake
DECATUR, Ill. – After more than a year of planning, our team is finally ready to launch a new phase of research. We’ve designed and built two small “islands” of wetland plants that will float on Lake Decatur. These living laboratories will help us investigate how floating wetlands may affect nutrient levels and sediment dynamics […]
Monitoring stress from the surface of the body
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Today, my laboratory looks more like a scene from a sci-fi film than a psychology research space. Wires snake across tables, sensors lay carefully arranged on trays, and a bucket of ice water sits in the corner, quietly waiting its turn. This work is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s department […]