School of Integrative Biology | School of Integrative Biology

CABBI Team Adds Powerful New Dimension to Phenotyping Next-Gen Bioenergy Crop

2022-11-04

Miscanthus is one of the most promising perennial crops for bioenergy production since it is able to produce high yields with a small environmental footprint. This versatile grass has great potential to perform even better, as much less effort has been put into improving it through breeding...

Illinois Storytellers - Nariah Romero-Rudy

2022-11-11

The Illinois Commitment scholarship program made an Illinois education possible for Nariah Romero-Rudy (LAS ’23). In this essay, she shares the inspiration behind her dream of becoming a genetic counselor. The Illinois Storytellers series brings you first-person pieces from distinctive Illinois...

"Contrary to commonly accepted standards of morality"

2022-10-04

A plant biologist’s views on sex triggered a storm of protest and debate on academic freedom The story of Leo Koch is best understood in a 1960 frame of mind. That year, John F. Kennedy was running for president and Westerns such as Gunsmoke and Wagon Trail were the top shows on television. The...

Exploring the genetic switchboard of plants

2022-07-20

Amy Marshall-Colon researches how to help crops survive a rapidly changing environment How can we help our crops and plants survive in an increasingly hot and unpredictable environment? Amy Marshall-Colon, a professor of plant biology at the U of I who recently received...

Govindjee receives Lifetime Achievement Award for photosynthesis research

2022-09-12

man sitting in front of desktop computer

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign plant biology professor emeritus Govindjee is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Photosynthesis Research, an honor he...

Cowbird Chicks Must Adopt ‘The Goldilocks Principle’ To Boost Survival

2022-09-29

Cowbirds need to grow up alongside two host nestlings — no more and no less — to maximize their own survival

Male/female plumage differences in thrushes promote species recognition

2022-10-10

In 1868, the naturalist Charles Darwin wrote that differences in plumage coloration between male and female birds of the same species were likely the result of sexual selection: Female birds – he used the peahen and peacock as an example – seemed to prefer the showiest males. A new study of...

Carla Cáceres named G. William Arends Professor in Integrative Biology

2022-10-13

Longtime professor and director honored for research, teaching, and mentoring When Carla Eva Cáceres was a sophomore studying biology at the University of Michigan, she heard of an internship that would put her on a boat in Lake Michigan doing research. She hesitated.

Model calculates energetics of piercing fangs, claws and other biological weapons

2022-10-21

Researchers have created a model that can calculate the energetics involved when one organism stabs another with its fangs, thorns, spines or other puncturing parts. Because the model can be applied to a variety of organisms, it will help scientists study and compare many types of biological...

New Rabinowitch Lecture Series honors pioneering University of Illinois biophysicist

2022-06-09

The Departments of Plant Biology and Biochemistry are pleased to announce the creation of the Rabinowitch Lecture Series, which will feature guest speakers who have made key achievements in the two...