URBANA, Ill. -- Wastewater from biorefineries that convert plants into fuel is full of organic materials that cannot be efficiently treated with conventional wastewater systems, making it costly and energy-intensive to manage.

However, those rich organic materials are an untapped source of chemical energy that can be recovered as valuable products, including biogas, a clean-burning renewable fuel.

URBANA, Ill. – A new University of Illinois project is using advanced object recognition technology to keep toxin-contaminated wheat kernels out of the food supply and to help researchers make wheat more resistant to fusarium head blight, or scab disease, the crop’s top nemesis.   

URBANA, Ill. – Aerial imagery is a valuable component of precision agriculture, providing farmers with important information about crop health and yield. Images are typically obtained with an expensive multispectral camera attached to a drone.

The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) is providing seed funding for a research project that will use automation to reduce manual labor costs in small urban farming operations.

URBANA, Ill. – Located at the nexus of agricultural crop production and industries that process those grains, the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois provides experiential education to students and helps companies de-risk bioprocessing technologies. The IBRL is among a very select group of institutions that offer an advanced degree in bioprocessing, a critical component in the future of workforce training for the U.S. biomanufacturing industry.

URBANA, Ill. – A team of University of Illinois researchers received a $2.5 million USDA grant for a project to explore conversion of food waste and swine manure into pavement binder and transportation fuels.

Urbana, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it is funding a new project led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that will address major obstacles to adoption of cover crops in the United States.

Josie Rudolphi is a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Illinois whose research examined suicide among farmers and ranchers, as well as the mental health of their children.

URBANA, Ill. – ­Soil erosion is a significant problem for agricultural production, impacting soil quality and causing pollutants to enter waterways. Among all stages of soil erosion, gully erosion is the most severe phase, where large channels are carved through the field. Once gullies develop, they are challenging to manage through tiling; they require a more comprehensive approach along the impacted area. 

URBANA, Ill. – The Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois welcomed a group of industry professionals from around the globe for the “Revitalization of Corn Processing Facilities for the Future” short course.