Corn bred with genes from wild relatives can reshape soil microbial communities and reduce nitrogen loss — with no yield reduction — according to new research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The advancement marks the first time corn’s genetic makeup has been linked with inhibition of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria, the microbes responsible for turning fertilizer nitrogen into forms that pollute water and contribute to climate change.   

In Bangladesh, programs targeting ultra-poor, rural households can help families escape extreme poverty. However, the programs may have the unintended consequence of reinforcing gender gaps, a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign finds.

Each year, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign proudly recognizes the remarkable accomplishments of its alumni. At the 2026 ACES Alumni Awards Gala, award recipients will be recognized across four categories: Outstanding Young Alumni, Career Achievement, Award of Merit, and ACES Family Spirit. The 2026 honorees will be celebrated on April 13 at Pear Tree Estate.

Antibiotic resistance in human and animal health is on the forefront of public debate, but it’s a less well-known issue in plant agriculture. However, antibiotics are important tools in fruit production, and their efficacy hinges on avoiding resistance in disease-causing bacteria. 

How do you assess the health needs of an entire community, especially its most vulnerable members? It’s a huge logistical challenge for public health offices serving counties and states around the country, but an accurate view of community health is needed to guide the services they offer and to reach their intended audiences. 

Despite improvements in economic and social empowerment, women in many countries still have little control over their own fertility and reproductive health. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores a program reducing barriers to family planning by providing financial and peer support to women in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated state.

Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can now differentiate between human-derived and hydrological contributions of riverine nitrogen pollution in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The advancement, published in Environmental Science and Technology, sets the stage for more nuanced policy and management of nitrate and nitrite, the nutrients that degrade drinking water quality and cause oxygen-starved “dead zones” in the Gulf each year.

The next time you grab a bag of popcorn at an Illini basketball game, you will be snacking on a local innovation years in the making. Thanks to a commercial partnership between Riggs Beer Company and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, fans will soon enjoy Illini SuperPop™ — a new popcorn variety developed and grown right here in Champaign County.

Sharon M. Donovan is a professor of nutritional sciences and the Melissa M. Noel Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health, whose work centers on childhood obesity prevention and optimizing health throughout the lifespan.