All University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign articles
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NewsGenomic tools provide clearer view of health for endangered bats
Researchers have used advanced molecular tools to survey the health status of endangered Indiana bats, identifying microbiome changes resulting from parasitic infections.
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NewsMinecraft players can now explore whole cells and their contents - including yeast and bacteria
Scientists have translated nanoscale experimental and computational data into precise 3D representations of bacteria, yeast and human epithelial, breast and breast cancer cells in the video game Minecraft.
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NewsGene-edited soil bacteria could provide third source of nitrogen for corn production
If corn was ever jealous of soybean’s relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, advancements in gene editing could one day even the playing field. A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows that gene-edited bacteria can supply the equivalent of 35 pounds of nitrogen from the air during early corn ...
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NewsMapping the gut microbiome to create personal nutrition plans
Researchers are developing methods of mapping the microbiome to help create personalized nutrition plans for individuals. They designed metabolomic analyses that are accessible and reusable for dietary research targets such as corn, wheat and citrus.
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NewsResearchers develop model to evaluate food safety control strategies for produce industry
You’ve probably heard of product recalls involving lettuce, spinach, or other leafy greens. Consuming these popular vegetables are among the main causes of food poisoning, affecting thousands of people every year. Leafy greens can become contaminated with pathogenic E. coli or other bacteria through splashes of soil or contaminated irrigation ...
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NewsStudy offers insight into chloroplast evolution
Researchers have found evidence suggesting that the primary role of primitive chloroplasts may have been to produce chemical energy for the cell and only later shifted so that most or all of the energy they generated was used for carbon assimilation.
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NewsNanorobot hand made of DNA grabs viruses for diagnostics and blocks cell entry
A tiny, four-fingered ‘hand’ folded from a single piece of DNA can pick up the virus that causes COVID-19 for highly sensitive rapid detection and can even block viral particles from entering cells to infect them.
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NewsNSF to invest $5 million to Biofoundries project
The U.S. National Science Foundation and partner agencies in the U.S., Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United Kingdom have announced funding awards in their Global Centers competition. One of the centers, the Reliable and Scalable Biofoundries for Biomanufacturing and Global Bioeconomy, includes researchers from the ...
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NewsBacteria ‘doing their job’, as nitrogen fertilizer for soybeans offers limited yield benefits
Researchers tested whether modern high-yielding soybeans benefit from nitrogen fertilizer, with results suggesting additions are largely unnecessary.
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NewsGood nutrition boosts honey bee resilience against pesticides and viruses
In a new study, researchers investigate how nutritional stress, viral infections and exposure to pesticides together influence honey bee survival. By looking at all three stressors together, the scientists found that good nutrition enhances honey bee resilience against the other threats.
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NewsHoney added to yogurt supports probiotic cultures for digestive health
If you enjoy a bowl of plain yogurt in the morning, adding a spoonful of honey is a delicious way to sweeten your favorite breakfast food. It also supports the probiotic cultures in the popular fermented dairy product, according to two new studies.
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NewsCoinfecting viruses impede each other’s ability to enter cells
Scientists researching phage infection at the level of a single cell investigated whether the number of infecting phages that bind to the bacterial surface corresponds to the amount of viral genetic material that is injected into the cell.
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NewsMouse study reveals how fetal brain impacted when mother fights severe flu
A bad case of the flu during pregnancy can increase the risk for fetal neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. But it’s not the virus itself doing the damage; it’s the mother’s immune response.
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NewsStudies explore converting wastewater to fertilizer with fungal treatment
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) converts biomass into biocrude oil through a high-temperature, high-pressure process. Two new studies explore the use of a fungal treatment to convert the leftover wastewater into fertilizer for agricultural crops.
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NewsRising antimicrobial resistance in some Salmonella serovars isolated from retail chicken meat
Salmonella infections are a major public health issue in the United States, causing over 1.3 million illnesses annually. These infections are a leading cause of foodborne illness, often traced back to raw or undercooked poultry meat and eggs. Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Scanning electron ...
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NewsMost Salmonella illnesses from chicken caused by few products with high levels of virulent strains
A new study shows that few products with high levels of very virulent Salmonella strains are responsible for most of the illnesses from raw chicken parts, suggesting regulation efforts should focus on detecting and preventing high-risk contamination.
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NewsPumpkin disease not evolving - which could make a difference for management
The bacterium, Xanthomonas cucurbitae, is so successful that it has had no reason to evolve through time or space, according to new research characterizing the pathogen’s genetic diversity across the Midwest.
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News$14.8 million grant supports Illinois-Singapore partnership on precision fermentation for food
The team has received a five-year, $14.8 million-dollar grant to develop the Centre for Precision Fermentation and Sustainability (PreFerS), focusing on enhancing the reliable, cost-effective production of safe, nutritious, and appetizing foods.
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NewsGut microbes from aged mice induce inflammation in young mice
New findings suggest that changes to the gut microbiome play a role in the systemwide inflammation that often occurs with aging, and also revealed that antibiotics caused longer-lasting disruptions in gut microbiomes of aged mice than in young mice.
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NewsNew antibiotic kills pathogenic bacteria, but spares healthy gut microbes
Researchers have developed a new antibiotic that reduced or eliminated drug-resistant bacterial infections in mouse models of acute pneumonia and sepsis while sparing healthy microbes in the mouse gut.