Researchers from the University of Illinois have identified a key process coordinating liver maturation and polyploidization, a state in which cells carry more than two sets of chromosomes. Their findings, published in Genes and Development, provide insight into hepatocyte specialization that will aid efforts in regenerative medicine.

Ever notice how much more tempting it is to pick up fast food for dinner after being stuck in traffic? It’s not just you. New University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research shows that traffic delays significantly increase visits to fast food restaurants, leading to unhealthier eating for millions each year. 

Yesterday, U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and the ITI Institute joined top researchers and policymakers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to see how AI is reshaping agriculture to address key challenges in food security, sustainability, and workforce development.

Four exceptional graduate students from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) have received funding to conduct doctoral research related to food security in a developing country, in collaboration with an International Agricultural Research Center, as part of the ACES Global Food Security Fellowship program.

Congratulations to the 2024 ACES International Food Security Fellows, whose projects, partners, and mentors are listed below:

Many people struggle to maintain a healthy weight, and choosing the optimal meals for weight loss can be challenging. A research team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has developed a weight management program that helps individuals plan meals with the assistance of a web application and support from a registered dietitian. In a new study, they discuss the app’s features, development, and implementation.

Zeynep Madak-Erdogan is associate director for education at the Cancer Center at Illinois and a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Madak-Erdogan’s research explores the impact of hormones and metabolism on breast cancer and individuals’ responses to treatment.

This September, a cooking channel came to life at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as ADM teamed up with the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences to host the Food Innovation Challenge. 

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 growth, which may reduce the crop’s reliance on nitrogen fertilizer. 

The night sky teems with migrating songbirds, aloft in their millions following routes etched in evolutionary time. But those flight paths may not be entirely innate, according to new research led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Evidence from over 18,300 hours of recorded flight calls suggests songbirds may “talk” to other species as they migrate, forming social connections and — just maybe — exchanging information about the journey.

Four faculty from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) have received funding to further their international work through the longstanding ACES International Seed Grant program, facilitated by the Office of International Programs.