URBANA, Ill. – When pigs get hit with significant illnesses during key stages of pregnancy, their immune response may negatively affect developing piglets, making them less productive on the farm. New research from the University of Illinois shows that when those piglets – especially males – experience a second stressor in early life, they are at higher risk of neurodevelopmental and other neurological anomalies, putting them at an even greater disadvantage in production settings.

URBANA, Ill. – With a growing number of states legalizing the sale and personal cultivation of cannabis, including medical and recreational marijuana and hemp, farmers and home growers need to know the ins and outs of the crop. Now, enthusiasts and full-scale producers alike can learn to classify and manage cannabis production in an online course through the University of Illinois.

URBANA, Ill.  – The number of people fleeing violence, poverty and conflict is skyrocketing worldwide and refugees often become permanently displaced. Syria’s decade-long civil war has caused millions of people to flee the country, with many settling in neighboring Lebanon. 

Governments and humanitarian organizations provide aid to the refugees, but contributions from donor countries have failed to meet rising needs in recent years. That makes it even more important to know where aid can be most effective.

URBANA, Ill. - Strengthening families and communities through gathering and connection have been important themes throughout Doris Kelley Christopher’s life and career. Now, a $45 million gift from the University of Illinois alumna will support the creation of an engagement-rich center located in the Arboretum on the Urbana-Champaign campus.    

URBANA, Ill. – As the owner of a human body, you’re carrying trillions of microbes with you everywhere you go. These microscopic organisms aren’t just hitching a ride; many of them perform essential chemical reactions that regulate everything from our digestion to our immune system to our moods.

We can’t get everything we want, and if you’ve ever wanted something really badly but didn’t get it, you know how true this statement is. This might resonate especially well with high school seniors who didn’t end up going to their dream college.

URBANA, Ill. – Women’s ability to work as entrepreneurs can help alleviate poverty and malnutrition in developing countries. As local governments and development organizations aim to encourage business opportunities, it’s important to identify projects suited for women’s lives in rural households.

URBANA, Ill. – Each year the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign presents top awards to outstanding junior and senior level ACES students. Last week, ACES shared the great news with the 2021 recipients of the Hugh P. Morrison Award, Robert M. Harrison Leadership Award, and Warren K. Wessels Award.  

URBANA, Ill. – Gut health is having a moment, with sales of fermented foods such as kefir, kombucha, and kimchi steadily on the rise. The benefits of “good bacteria” in fermented foods and supplements go well beyond the gut, moderating immune responses, heart health, weight, and even mood. But do products hold up to the claims on their labels?

URBANA, Ill. – Alex Pate is on a mission to make sure fellow Chicagoans have access to healthy, locally grown foods. As a farm manager with City Farm, the oldest sustainable urban farm in the city, Pate collaborates with mutual aid organizations to get free produce in the hands of those who need it.