The cold and flu season is beginning amid conflicting guidance on vaccination and the use of acetaminophen — a common fever-reducing drug sold under brand names such as Tylenol — during pregnancy. Adrienne Antonson is a professor of animal sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who studies the immune response during pregnancy and prenatal neurodevelopment.
Lost or leading the way? Rare birds may signal shifting migration routes
On a 2009 hike in the Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona, a group of birders heard an otherworldly, ethereal bird song floating, flute-like, through the canyon. The hikers identified the singer as a brown-backed solitaire, recognizing immediately that the bird was very far from home.
Wild giraffes lose their conservation safety net as zoo populations hybridize
Zoos and private collections teach, inspire, and connect people to animals they may never encounter in the wild. And, in some cases, those animals represent valuable ‘assurance populations’ — essentially, backups that could be used to revive critically endangered populations in their native ranges.
Illinois researchers convert food waste into jet fuel, boosting circular economy
Airplane travel is more popular than ever, and our desire for fast transportation means jet fuel has become a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Wetlands efficiently remove nitrogen pollution from surface water, leading to cost savings for municipalities
Wetlands are an important part of the ecological system, providing a myriad of benefits for people, wildlife, and the environment. They also serve as “nature’s kidneys,” filtering out pollutants from surface water.
The 1887 law that powers modern agricultural science
Agricultural innovation requires more than ideas — it demands acres of land, barns full of livestock, fleets of equipment, and teams of specialists who keep it all running. Few research enterprises are as complex, costly, or foundational as agriculture.
Once dominant, U.S. agricultural exports falter amid trade disputes and rising competition
The U.S. has traditionally been an agricultural powerhouse with a healthy trade surplus. But global dynamics are changing due to a confluence of political and economic factors. U.S. agricultural imports now exceed exports, and the trade deficit is projected to worsen in the coming years.
Study: Tariffs have potential to reshape US beer market
The ripple effects of increased tariffs under President Trump could extend to the $117 billion U.S. beer market, according to new research from a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign agricultural economist who studies food supply chains.
Bioeconomy U: How Illinois is leading the bio-revolution
If you ate, filled your gas tank, took medicine, or did laundry today, you likely participated in the bioeconomy. That’s the part of the economy that taps as its source material living, growing things.
In pregnant mice with severe flu, harmful molecules can breach fetal barriers
A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows, for the first time, that severe flu infection in pregnant mice leads to a breakdown in placental and brain barriers and an accumulation of potentially harmful molecules in the fetal b