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Voices of ACES Blog

Carrying Forward: Emma Hawkinson's Illinois Family Legacy

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Illinois spirit flows deeply in the Hawkinson family! Meet Emma Hawkinson, a proud fourth-generation Illinois student, who carries this legacy with passion. For Emma and her family, the connection to Illinois is not a coincidence, but rather an intentional choice by each individual.

Microbial division of labor produces higher biofuel yields

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists have found a way to boost ethanol production via yeast fermentation, a standard method for converting plant sugars into biofuels. Their approach, detailed in the journal Nature Communications, relies on careful timing and a tight division of labor among synthetic yeast strains to yield more ethanol per unit of plant sugars than previous approaches have achieved. 

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Local pipefitter expertise supports growing biomanufacturing industry in Central Illinois

URBANA, Ill. — Complex biomanufacturing equipment is required to turn corn and soybeans into value-added products through the process of fermentation.

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U of I researchers develop organic nanozymes suitable for agricultural use

URBANA, Ill. – Nanozymes are synthetic materials that mimic the properties of natural enzymes for applications in biomedicine and chemical engineering. They are generally considered too toxic and expensive for use in agriculture and food science.

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Automated agricultural machinery requires new approaches to ensuring safety

URBANA, Ill.From self-driving tractors to weeding robots and AI-powered data collection, automated machinery is revolutionizing agricultural production. While these technological advancements can greatly improve productivity, they also raise new questions about safety measures and regulations.

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A fruitful partnership

For U.S. farmers, enormous GPS-guided equipment makes easier work of planting and harvesting thousands of acres each season. Now, thanks to a partnership between UIUC’s Center for Digital Agriculture,  a collaboration among the College of ACES, Grainger College of Engineering and NCSA, and robotics start-up EarthSense, some of the work is being assigned to machines of a much smaller scale.

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