Nanozymes are synthetic materials that have enzyme-like catalytic properties, and they are broadly used for biomedical purposes, such as disease diagnostics. However, inorganic nanozymes are generally toxic, expensive, and complicated to produce, making them unsuitable for the agricultural and food industries.
How do wildlife researchers know when an endangered population is sick? They can detect infectious microbes in animal waste, but the presence of a microbe doesn’t always equate to impactful symptomatic infections. In a new study, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers used advanced molecular tools to survey the health status of endangered Indiana bats, identifying microbiome changes resulting from parasitic infections.
When Allison Kokal, a junior, first applied to the College of ACES at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she was searching for what she thought would be her second-choice major. That was until she saw Plant Biotechnology on the list of options. It was then that Kokal knew she had found her true calling.
Dr. Bhavani Shankar, an alum from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was recently honored with the prestigious Gates Foundation Goalkeeper Champion Award. Shankar was selected for his work in increasing access and affordability of nutrient dense foods to rural markets.
Weeds like Palmer amaranth make farming harder and less profitable, and available herbicides are becoming less effective. For scientists to find solutions, they first need to know their enemy. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborating institutions reveals complete chromosome-level genomes for Palmer and two other Amaranthus species, smooth and redroot pigweed.
Researchers at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) have developed a sustainable process that has redefined and expanded oilcane’s product portfolio, adding value to this feedstock.
In a traditional biorefinery, sugarcane is used as a feedstock to produce bioethanol fuel. Sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice, and that juice goes on to be processed into fuel. Meanwhile, the dry fibrous material that remains after crushing, called bagasse, is burned.
As a perennial and drought-resistant plant that is indigenous to the region, the Kalahari melon is an effective and ancient cover crop for traditional grain/sorghum/maize crops and will play a key role for food security in the era of climate change.
Using funds provided by the ACES International Graduate Grant, I initiated a study about Kalahari melon oil extraction in Namibia.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has announced the creation of a new administrative unit — the Division of Parks and Natural Spaces (DPNS) — to oversee Allerton Park and Retreat Center and the Illinois Arboretum. Headed by current Allerton Executive Director Derek Peterson, DPNS will ensure long-term sustainability of these public recreational spaces by focusing on conservation and community engagement.
A first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary center focused on creating a climate-smart circular bioeconomy is poised for significant growth, with the appointment of a director, two endowed professorships, and a major campus commitment to hire four new faculty in departments across the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Energy drinks are becoming an increasingly important topic in public health, nutrition and food policy, with global sales more than doubling from 2018-2023 and product selection expanding by 20% since 2021.
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