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.

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.

Food drying is a common process for preserving many types of food, including fruits and meat; however, drying can alter the food’s quality and nutritional value. In recent years, researchers have developed precision techniques that use optical sensors and AI to facilitate more efficient drying. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discusses three emerging smart drying techniques, providing practical information for the food industry.

Elizabeth Brooks Bruns’ journey from a farm girl to a civil engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was not without its challenges. Diagnosed with cancer at age 13, and facing several recurrences, Elizabeth had to pause her education multiple times in her teens and early twenties. “It gave me space to think about what I liked to do and took away the pressure to pick a career too quickly,” she recalls.

Growing up in Taipei, K.C. Ting never anticipated that agricultural engineering would be his calling. “It took me by surprise,” he shared, recalling the entrance exam system in Taiwan that directed students to universities based on their rankings. Out of 100 options, his assignment to agricultural engineering wasn’t his top choice, yet it set the stage for a lifelong career that blended his love for engineering with agriculture.

What if farmers could not only prevent excess phosphorus from polluting downstream waterways, but also recycle that nutrient as a slow-release fertilizer, all without spending a lot of money? In a first-of-its-kind field study, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers show it’s possible and economical. 

Using data collected on agricultural machine-related injuries in Pakistan, a team from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is advocating for a safer work environment for farmers around the world.

Just two machines, the fodder cutter and the thresher, were together responsible for 79% of the agricultural machine-related injuries reported in two Pakistani provinces during 2022-2023, many of which caused amputations, according to a study that is detailed in Safety 2024. 

What happens to ibuprofen after it eases your throbbing headache? Like many pharmaceuticals, it can remain in an active form when our bodies flush it out. That’s a problem, because although wastewater treatment plants are good at reducing nutrient pollutants in water, they aren’t designed to remove pharmaceuticals and personal care products. So antibiotics, hormones, and other drugs are sent back into streams and onto crop fields.

Today, the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will recognize the achievements of two outstanding alumni at the 2024 ABE Awards reception.