Technique allows study of protein folding

Mar 3 | News

A new technique to study protein dynamics in living cells has been created by a team of Univ. of Illinois scientists, and evidence yielded from the new method indicates that an in vivo environment strongly modulates a protein’s stability and folding rate.

Visible light photocatalyst kills bacteria

Jan 20 | News

In the battle against bacteria, researchers at the Univ. of Illinois have developed a powerful new weapon—an enhanced photocatalytic disinfection process that uses visible light to destroy harmful bacteria and viruses, even in the dark.

Biofuels crop can host western corn rootworm

Jan 6 | News

The western corn rootworm beetle, a pest that feasts on corn roots and corn silk and costs growers more than $1 billion annually in the U.S., also can survive on the perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus, a potential biofuels crop that would likely be grown alongside corn.

Adding technology to geometry class improves learning opportunities

12/16/2009 | News

A new study co-written by a Univ.of Illinois expert in math education suggests that incorporating technology in high school-level geometry classes not only makes the teaching of concepts such as congruency easier, it also empowers students to discover other geometric relationships they wouldn't ordinarily uncover when more traditional methods of instruction were used.

Directing self-assembly process in thin-film materials

11/24/2009 | News

Researchers at the Univ. of Illinois have developed a technique for fabricating three-dimensional, single-crystalline silicon structures from thin films by coupling photolithography and a self-folding process driven by capillary interactions. The films, only a few microns thick, offer mechanical bendability that is not possible with thicker pieces of the same material.  

Wet ethanol production process yields more co-products

11/10/2009 | News

Using a wet ethanol production method that begins by soaking corn kernels rather than grinding them, results in more gallons of ethanol and more usable co-products, giving ethanol producers a bigger bang for their buck—by about 20%. In comparing the wet and dry fractionation methods, the research team found that when using the wet fractionation method, the result is even higher ethanol concentrations coming out of the fermenter and better quality co-products than the dry method.  

Small mechanical forces have big impact on embryonic stem cells

10/19/2009 | News

Applying a small mechanical force to embryonic stem cells could be a new way of coaxing them into a specific direction of differentiation, researchers at the Univ. of Illinois report. Applications for force-directed cell differentiation include therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicine.

Better way to watch bacteria swim

10/5/2009 | News

Researchers have developed a new method for studying bacterial swimming, one that allows them to trap Escherichia coli bacteria and modify the microbes' environment without hindering the way they move. The new approach uses optical traps, microfluidic chambers and fluorescence to get an improved picture of how E. coli get around.  

Electronic nose sniffs out toxins

9/13/2009 | News

Imagine a polka-dotted postage stamp-sized sensor that can sniff out some known poisonous gases and toxins and show the results simply by changing colors. Support for the development and application of this electronic nose comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Once fully developed, the sensor could be useful in detecting high exposures to toxic industrial chemicals that pose serious health risks in the workplace or through accidental exposure.

Silk-based optical waveguides meet biomedical needs

9/1/2009 | News

There is a growing need for biocompatible photonic components for biomedical applications—from in vivo glucose monitoring to detecting harmful viruses or the telltale markers of Alzheimer's. Researchers at Tufts Univ. and the Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign demonstrated a new method for fabricating silk-based optical waveguides that are biocompatible, biodegradable, and can be readily functionalized with active molecules. The team demonstrated light guiding through this new class of waveguides created by direct ink writing using Bombyx mori silk fibroin inks.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Mar 15

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Mar 5

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

Jan 7

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Jan 7

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.