Illinois crop pathologists and entomologists publish 2019 field research results
URBANA, Ill. – Researchers from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the Illinois Natural History Survey have published their 2019 field research results related to crop pests and diseases in Illinois.
People with inadequate access to food are 10% to 37% more likely to die prematurely
Canadian adults with food insecurity are 10% to 37% more likely to die prematurely from any cause other than cancer compared to food-secure people, according to new research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Craig Gundersen, distinguished professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois, is a co-author on the study. Read more.
University of Illinois urban greening expert to speak at World Economic Forum
URBANA, Ill. – Ming Kuo of the University of Illinois will speak to global business leaders and heads of state next week at the 50th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Kuo is the first faculty member from the university to present at the influential annual meeting, which draws thousands each year and aims to improve the state of the world.
Nanosatellites improve detection of early-season corn nitrogen stress
URBANA, Ill. – For corn growers, the decision of when and how much nitrogen fertilizer to apply is a perennial challenge. Scientists at the University of Illinois have shown that nanosatellites known as CubeSats can detect nitrogen stress early in the season, potentially giving farmers a chance to plan in-season nitrogen fertilizer applications and alleviate nutrient stress for crops.
BRIDGE-ing the gap between diagnostics and gestational diabetes
As a result of intersecting research interests in women’s health, a new collaboration was forged between Zeynep Madak-Erdogan (GSP/ONC-PM), Assistant Professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition, and Justina Zurauskiene (ONC-PM), Birmingham-Illinois Partnership for Discovery, Engagement and Education (BRIDGE) fellow and fellow at the Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences in Birmingham, England.
Affirmative action policies successfully increased minority enrollment at Brazilian universities, study shows
URBANA, Ill. – Affirmative action policies (AAP) such as quota systems based on racial or socio-economic criteria are often recommended as a way to increase enrollment of underrepresented students in higher education. But those policies can be controversial and their results are sometimes questioned.
Illinois Pork Producers Association invests in Feed Technology Center
URBANA, Ill. – Advancing its longstanding support of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) has announced a financial commitment to the new Feed Technology Center currently under construction south of campus.
Genes controlling mycorrhizal colonization discovered in soybean
URBANA, Ill. – Like most plants, soybeans pair up with soil fungi in a symbiotic mycorrhizal relationship. In exchange for a bit of sugar, the fungus acts as an extension of the root system to pull in more phosphorus, nitrogen, micronutrients, and water than the plant could on its own.
Excess leucine in pig diets leads to multiple problems, Illinois study shows
URBANA, Ill. – Recent changes in corn and sorghum processing for ethanol have led to changes in the composition of grain byproducts, including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a major component of swine feed. As a result, today’s DDGS is typically higher in the amino acid leucine than is necessary to meet nutritional requirements of pigs. According to research from the University of Illinois, excess leucine in pig diets can decrease protein synthesis and reduce feed intake.
Caffeine may offset some health risks of diets high in fat, sugar
URBANA, Ill. — A new study in rats suggests that caffeine may offset some of the negative effects of an obesogenic diet by reducing the storage of lipids in fat cells and limiting weight gain and the production of triglycerides. Read more from the Illinois News Bureau.