![]() |
|
|
TOPICS: Agriculture | Anthropology |Astronomy | Biology | Chemistry | Civil Engineering | Computers | Engineering | Entomology | Environment | Food Science | Geology | Health | Materials Science| Medicine | Physics | Psychology | Veterinary Medicine AGRICULTURE Swine Virus: Sample sizes were small, but eyebrow-raising results from a study on a western Illinois farm have researchers and veterinarians taking a broader look at how swine producers battle an endemic viral disease that adds to their costs and threatens reproduction in their herds. (4/4/06) Stabilized Lipids: An innovative strategy of mixing lipids and nanoparticles to produce new drug and agricultural materials and delivery vehicles has been developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (3/6/06) Pig Genome: A pig used for research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a home in history. Its DNA will provide the first sequence of the swine genome to be completed with the help of a two-year $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. (1/13/06) ASTRONOMY Solar Siblings: The death of a massive nearby star billions of years ago offers evidence the sun was born in a star cluster, say astronomers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rather than being an only child, the sun could have hundreds or thousands of celestial siblings, now dispersed across the heavens. (10/4/06) CARMA Dedication: Astronomers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign soon will be observing the universe with a new millimeter-wave telescope array located in the high desert of California. Dedication of the facility – called the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy – is set for 3 p.m. PDT on Friday (May 5) at Cedar Flat in the Inyo Mountains near Bishop. (5/5/06) Star Birth, Star Death: In recent years, a number of ground-based optical and radio surveys of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds – Earth’s nearest neighboring galaxies – have become available. New composite images of optical, radio, infrared, ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths are giving astronomers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a clearer picture of the birth, life and death of massive stars, and their effect on the gas and dust of the interstellar medium surrounding them. (1/11/06) ATMOSPHERIC
SCIENCE BIO
ENGINEERING BIOLOGY New Fish: What’s 34 centimeters (13.39 inches) long, likes the cold and has an interorbital pit with two openings? The answer is Cryothenia amphitreta, a newly discovered Antarctic fish discovered by a member of a research team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (12/19/06) Honey Bees: What do fruit flies, mosquitoes, silk moths and honey bees have in common? First, they are all insects. Second, they have all had their genomes sequenced, a feat that will make it much easier to discern both similarities and differences. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) has just joined this elite club. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, along with scientists at other institutions, have already begun probing the honey bee genome for its many secrets. The primary discoveries found so far are presented in the Oct. 26 issue of Nature, and in other scientific journals. (10/25/06) Honey Bee Ancestry: “Every honey bee alive today had a common ancestor in Africa” is one conclusion drawn by a team of scientists that probed the origin of the species and the movements of introduced populations, including African “killer” bees in the New World. (10/25/06) Honey Bee Chemoreceptors: Honey bees have a much better sense of smell than fruit flies or mosquitoes, but a much worse sense of taste, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (10/25/06) Optical Imaging: A near-infrared imaging technique being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign could have a significant impact in the way doctors detect, diagnose and treat breast cancer. (9/12/06) Planarian Stem Cells: No matter how you slice it, the freshwater planarian possesses an amazing ability to regenerate lost body parts. Chop one into pieces, and each piece can grow into a complete planarian. The flatworm relies upon a population of stem cells to accomplish this remarkable feat; recent work sheds light on how planarians maintain these stem cells throughout their lives. (8/7/06) Epidemics: The shape of a lake’s basin – in reverse of what researchers had theorized – has a prominent role, along with predation and weather patterns, in epidemics affecting water fleas grazing on lakes in Michigan, researchers say. (8/7/06) Antarcitc Antifreeze: Thirty-five years ago Arthur DeVries of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign first documented antifreeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) in Antarctic notothenioid fishes. This month three colleagues report they’ve solved the ensuing, long-running mystery of where these AFGPs, which allow the fish to survive in icy waters, are produced. (6/21/06) Guppy Survival: Any owner of a freshwater aquarium likely has had guppies (Poecilia reticulata), those small brightly colored fish with a propensity for breeding. Now guppy populations manipulated in natural habitats in Trinidad have taught researchers an evolutionary lesson on the survival of a rare genetic trait. (5/31/06) Frog Communication: First came word that a rare frog (Amolops tormotus) in China sings like a bird, then that the species produces very high-pitch ultrasonic sounds. Now scientists say that these concave-eared torrent frogs also hear and respond to the sounds. (3/15/06) Brain Train: TToo old to learn new skills? By golly, think again. New research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that training re-ignites key areas of the brain, offsetting some age-related declines and boosting performance. (2/13/06) Antarctic fish: Very thin but hardy, unblemished skin and slow developing gills appear to be keys to survival for newly hatched Antarctic notothenioids, a group of fish whose adults thrive in icy waters because of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) in their blood. (2/13/06) Infertility Gene: Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign report that experiments involving mice – to be detailed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – indicate that the transcription factor protein C/EBPb must be present in the uterus for pregnancy to occur. The study appears online this week at the PNAS Web site. (1/17/06) Pig Genome: A pig used for research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a home in history. Its DNA will provide the first sequence of the swine genome to be completed with the help of a two-year $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. (1/13/06) Pox Protein: A protein that undesirably shields a skin poxvirus from the immune system may become the key ingredient in a new topical treatment for inflammatory diseases, say medical researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (1/11/06) CHEMISTRY Dipstick
test: Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
have developed a simple “dipstick” test for detecting cocaine
and other drugs in saliva, urine or blood serum. The test is based upon
DNA-gold nanoparticle technology, and can be packaged in user-friendly
kits similar to those used for home pregnancy tests.
(11/13/06)
Lantibiotics: The discovery and preparation of a naturally occurring antibiotic could open the door to new therapeutic drugs for treating nasty infections. (10/30/06) Honey bees: From humans to honeybees, neuropeptides control brain activity and, hence, our behaviors. Understanding the roles these peptides play in the life of a honey bee will assist researchers in understanding the roles they play in their human counterparts.(10/25/06) Carbon Sponges: Since the discovery of buckyballs and carbon nanotubes, there has been intense interest in preparing carbon materials of various morphologies and structures. Now, graduate student Sara E. Skrabalak and chemistry professor Kenneth S. Suslick at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered a way to prepare porous carbon sponges by heating a chemical mist from an ordinary home humidifier. (10/2/06) Gating Mechanism: Using computer simulations and experimental results, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Arizona have identified a key component of the gating mechanism in aquaporins that controls both the passage of water and the conduction of ions. (9/21/06) Evolutionary Software: New software developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign allows scientists to more effectively analyze and compare both sequence and structure data from a growing library of proteins and nucleic acids. (9/18/06) Groundwater:
Scientists
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new
chemical catalyst that uses hydrogen gas to efficiently remove and destroy
harmful perchlorate in contaminated groundwater.(9/11/06) Nisin
Power: Scientists
have made nisin, a natural antibiotic used for more than 40 years to
preserve food, in a test tube using nature’s toolbox. They also
identified the structure of the enzyme that makes nisin and gives it
its unique biological power. COMPUTERS Video conferencing: If only Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were around today to take a spin with new technology being developed and tested by a team of computer scientists in Illinois and California. (4/19/06) Virus Simulation: Biologists have just completed the first computer simulation of an entire life form – a virus. The accomplishment, performed by computational biologists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and crystallographers at the University of California at Irvine, is detailed in the March issue of the journal Structure. (3/14/06) ENGINEERING
Fastest Transistor: Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have again broken their own speed record for the world’s fastest transistor. With a frequency of 845 gigahertz, their latest device is approximately 300 gigahertz faster than transistors built by other research groups, and approaches the goal of a terahertz device. (12/11/06) Biofuels: Biofuels advocates should not ignore the potential ecological side effects of crops being developed to produce such fuels, a researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign says in an article being published today in Science. (9/22/06) Ceramic Microreactors: Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have designed and built ceramic microreactors for the on-site reforming of hydrocarbon fuels, such as propane, into hydrogen for use in fuel cells and other portable power sources. (9/19/06) Power Grid: Inadequate investment in the power-grid transmission network remains the Achilles heel of the nation’s electric system, an engineer who specializes in utility policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign says. (7/27/06) Transistor Laser Characteristics: The transistor laser, invented by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been full of surprises. Researchers recently coaxed the device to reveal fundamental properties of the transistor, and of the transistor laser, moving it a step closer to commercialization. (4/5/06) Janus Particles: In Roman mythology, Janus was the god of change and transition, often portrayed with two faces gazing in opposite directions. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Janus particles are providing insight into the movement of molecules, and serving as the basis for new materials and sensors. (3/13/06) DNA Detection: Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who recently reported that DNA-wrapped carbon nanotubes could serve as sensors in living cells now say the tiny tubes can be used to target specific DNA sequences. Potential applications for the new sensors range from rapid detection of hazardous biological agents to simpler and more efficient forensic identification. (2/17/06) Wrinkled membranes: A University of Illinois scientist studying how membranes wrinkle has discovered a novel system for on-demand drug delivery. (2/13/06) Transistor Laser: The transistor laser invented by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has now been found to possess fundamental non-linear characteristics that are new to a transistor and permit its use as a dual-input, dual-output, high-frequency signal processor. (2/6/06) Nanotube Sensors: Single-walled carbon nanotubes wrapped with DNA can be placed inside living cells and detect trace amounts of harmful contaminants using near infrared light, report researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Their discovery opens the door to new types of optical sensors and biomarkers that exploit the unique properties of nanoparticles in living systems. (1/26/06) Nanotube Behavior: Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have made an important theoretical breakthrough in the understanding of energy dissipation and thermal breakdown in metallic carbon nanotubes. Their discovery will help move nanotube wires from laboratory to marketplace. (1/19/06) ENTOMOLOGY Trap-Jaw Ants: Scientists using a high-speed imaging system have found that the jaws in trap-jaw ants snap shut in less than a millisecond, averaging a speed of 38 meters per second (approximately 137 kilometers/hour). (8/21/06) ENVIRONMENT GEOLOGY Natural Organic Matter: The decomposition of plant, animal and microbial material in soil and water produces a variety of complex organic molecules, collectively called natural organic matter. These compounds play many important roles in the environment. (12/11/06) Scalloped Volcano: Three unique photographs of a recent volcanic eruption in a remote part of Ecuador show a plume unlike any previously documented, and hint at a newly recognized hazard, say scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (3/14/06) HEALTH Exercise: The wait for an anti-aging treatment is over, according to cognitive neuroscientists and kinesiologists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While not as effortless as popping a pill, the treatment – in the form of moderate exercise – may be a simple and effective way to reverse age-related brain deterioration. (11/20/06) Fuel consumption: American waistlines have expanded since 1960, so has their consumption of gasoline, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Virginia Commonwealth University say. (10/24/06) Exercise: New work by researchers at the University of Illinois lends strength to previous research documenting the health benefits of Qigong and Taiji among older adults who practice these ancient Chinese martial-arts forms. (6/28/06) Brain Train: Too old to learn new skills? By golly, think again. New research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that training re-ignites key areas of the brain, offsetting some age-related declines and boosting performance. (2/13/06) Estrogen and Exercise: Women pondering hormone-replacement therapy also should consider regular exercise. A new study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggests that being physically fit offsets cognitive declines attributed to long-term therapy. (1/24/06) Resolutions: Predictably, on the heels of holiday-related overindulgence in sweets and treats, the word “exercise” manages to surface on many people’s lists of resolutions. What are the keys to getting a new fitness program off the ground, then staying the course? (1/4/06) MATERIALS
SCIENCE Solar Energy: Although costs for photovoltaic technology are too high now in comparison with power supplied by traditional utilities, the potential to make solar power economically feasible exists on a smaller scale, according to data released today by the Illinois State Water Survey and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (9/7/06) DNA: Coffee drinkers are familiar with the ring-shaped stains that result from spilled drops that have dried, in which the brown stain is not evenly distributed, but instead concentrated at the edge. Now, a team led by Gerard Wong, a professor of materials science and engineering, physics and bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has found the same “coffee-ring” formation in drying drops of DNA. (5/11/06) MATHEMATICS MEDICINE Stabilized
Lipids: An
innovative strategy of mixing lipids and nanoparticles to produce new
drug and agricultural materials and delivery vehicles has been developed
by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (3/6/06) Blood Clots: In a paper to appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Georgia report that a linear polymer known as polyphosphate speeds blood clotting and helps clots last longer. The paper was posted online this week on the PNAS Web site. (1/9/06) PHYSICS Quantum Devices: Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated that quantum coherence is possible in electronic systems that are incommensurate, thereby removing one obstacle in the development of quantum devices. (11/2/06) Superconducting
Nanowires: Superconducting wires are used in magnetic resonance
imaging machines, high-speed magnetic-levitation trains, and in sensitive
devices that detect variations in the magnetic field of a brain. Eventually,
ultra-narrow superconducting wires might be used in power lines designed
to carry electrical energy long distances with little loss.
(10/18/06)
Significant Papers: Two of the five most important papers published in the 43-year history of the journal Applied Physics Letters were written by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (5/31/06) Stabilized Lipids: An innovative strategy of mixing lipids and nanoparticles to produce new drug and agricultural materials and delivery vehicles has been developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (3/6/06) Quantum Computing: By combining quantum computation and quantum interrogation, scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found an exotic way of determining an answer to an algorithm – without ever running the algorithm.(2/22/06) Transistor Laser: The transistor laser invented by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has now been found to possess fundamental non-linear characteristics that are new to a transistor and permit its use as a dual-input, dual-output, high-frequency signal processor. (2/6/06) Myosin Movement: In living organisms, hundreds of different kinds of molecular motors perform a variety of essential, but little understood tasks that result in such actions as muscle contraction, cell division and the movement of materials within cells. Some motors act as transporters, some serve as anchors, and some may do both. (2/2/06) PSYCHOLOGY Math Divide: More women are pursuing higher education and doctoral degrees than ever before, but women still are rare in the math-oriented professions. Yet, researchers say, girls perform just as well as boys on achievement tests and tend to earn better grades in math than do boys during the earlier school years. (2/20/06) THEORETICAL
AND APPLIED MECHANICS Turbulent Flow: A simple but groundbreaking experiment performed more than 70 years ago finally has been explained by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The solution sheds new light on fluid turbulence – the last major unsolved problem in classical physics. (1/31/06) VETERINARY
MEDICINE Stump Density: Fecal matter of red colobus monkeys collected in western Uganda has yielded a wealth of knowledge about human land-use change and wildlife health and conservation. The main lesson, researchers say, is that the intensity of tree removal translates directly to parasite populations and the risk of infection of their hosts. (4/6/06) Swine
Virus: Sample sizes were small, but eyebrow-raising results from
a study on a western Illinois farm have researchers and veterinarians
taking a broader look at how swine producers battle an endemic viral
disease that adds to their costs and threatens reproduction in their
herds.
(4/4/06)
|
|
|
|
|
News Bureau, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 616 E. Green St., Suite D, Champaign, Illinois 61820-6261
Telephone 217-333-1085, Fax 217-244-0161, E-mail news@uiuc.edu |