Plant Biology

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists developed a machine-learning tool that can teach itself, with minimal external guidance, to differentiate between aerial images of flowering and nonflowering grasses — an advance that will greatly increase the pace of agricultural field research, they say. The work was...

The Graduate College and the Media Commons of the University Library recently announced the winners of the 2025 Image of Research competition. This annual competition underscores the extraordinary creativity and intellectual diversity of our graduate students.3RD PRIZEThe...

Dr. Rose Marks, Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Biology has spearheaded a landmark international collaboration to chart the future of desiccation tolerance research. The resulting paper, “Life on the Dry Side: A Roadmap...

Growing up on an arable and livestock farm in Northumberland, the northernmost county in England, Tracy Lawson's childhood experience sparked a lifelong fascination with plants, setting the stage for her impressive career as a leading biologist.Now, as a globally recognized expert in plant biology...

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign each year presents Campus Awards for Excellence in Instruction to exceptional faculty and staff members, graduate teaching assistants and advisors campuswide. This year’s recipients are being honored at a ceremony on April 15. Awardees are cited for...

We are thrilled to announce that five graduate students from the School of Integrative Biology (SIB) have been named semifinalists in this year’s Image of Research competition! Each year, this exhibition showcases the stunning diversity and creativity of graduate student research.We invite you to...

Plant Biology Professor James Dalling is one of the key authors in a recent groundbreaking study published in Science, shedding light on how tropical forests in the Americas are adapting too slowly to keep pace with climate change. This research suggests that these forests, vital to...

A team from the University of Illinois has determined that improving a key component of soybean photosynthesis is unlikely to come from traditional breeding methods, and that gene editing is likely the key to unlocking soybean potential.“There’s not a huge amount...

A new research initiative is investigating how maize and rice use light, water, and nutrients more efficiently, with the goal of developing higher-yield, more resilient crops. The Strategic Interventions for Sustainable Yield Increase in Maize and Rice (SUYIMAR) project, backed by ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —  Lisa Ainsworth has been named Director of the internationally acclaimed Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency project, which is led by the University of Illinois."Lisa is pre...