Developing and applying synthetic biology, machine learning, and laboratory automation tools to address society's most daunting challenges in human health and energy, and investigating the fundamental aspects of enzyme catalysis, cell metabolism, and gene regulation. Read More
Years
February, 19, 2021
Direct cloning method CAPTUREs novel microbial natural products
Direct cloning method CAPTUREs novel microbial natural products
By: Alisa King-Klemperer
January, 27, 2021
Genome-editing tool TALEN outperforms CRISPR-Cas9 in tightly packed DNA
Genome-editing tool TALEN outperforms CRISPR-Cas9 in tightly packed DNA
By: Diana Yates | Life Sciences Editor, U of I News Bureau
November 09, 2020
$87 million multi-institutional grant will help Illinois advance bioindustrial manufacturing
U of I plays a key role in research collaboration funded by the Department of Defense
By: Kimberly Belser | Illinois LAS
August 26, 2020
U of I to lead two of seven new national artificial intelligence institutes
The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign will host two new artificial intelligence institutes funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
By: Diana Yates | Life Sciences Editor, U. Of I. News Bureau
June 21, 2020
Photoactive enzyme can tame radicals
Reaction makes chiral carbonyls in high yields and selectivity.
By: Leigh Krietsch Boerner
June 8, 2020
Researchers Shed Light on New Enzymatic Reaction
Researchers have identified key ingredients for producing high-value chemical compounds in an environmentally friendly fashion: repurposed enzymes, curiosity, and a little bit of light.
By: Jenna Kurtzweil
November 27, 2019
Robotic system can plan and perform biosynthesis without human intervention
A fully automated algorithm-driven platform can not only design, build and test biochemical pathways to make valuable compounds, it can learn from its mistakes and optimise the process too.1 After the initial setup, the robotic system plans and performs all the experiments without further human participation. The new approach can be used to produce a variety of chemicals using biological engineering.
By: Kira Welter
November 13, 2019
Artificial intelligence to run the chemical factories of the future
A new proof-of-concept study details how an automated system driven by artificial intelligence can design, build, test and learn complex biochemical pathways to efficiently produce lycopene, a red pigment found in tomatoes and commonly used as a food coloring, opening the door to a wide range of biosynthetic applications, researchers report.
By: Lois Yoksoulian
April 24, 2019
Project aims to revive natural product discovery
A new project aims to discover new natural products on a large scale by using synthetic biology and automation.
By: Emily Scott
December 31, 2018
Unmuting large silent genes lets bacteria produce new molecules, potential drug candidates
Illinois researchers developed a technique to unmute silent genes in Streptomyces bacteria using decoy DNA fragments to lure away repressors.
By: Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
December 10, 2018
August 18, 2018
Catalytic teamwork transforms alkenes selectively
Photocatalyst pairs with ene-reductase enzyme to obtain one enantiomer in reductions of mixtures
By: Carmen Drahl
August 16, 2018
Yajie's Nature paper was highlighted in a news release. Next to this article, there is a story about Tony.
Congratulations to both of them.
August 15, 2018
A unique combination of catalysts opens doors to making useful compounds
Researchers have developed a new method that aids in the process of making valuable compounds by using a unique combination of catalysts.
By: Emily Scott
July 12, 2018
Congratulations!
May 7, 2018
New CRISPR technology ‘knocks out’ yeast genes with single-point precision
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has given researchers the power to precisely edit selected genes. Now, researchers have used it to develop a technology that can target any gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and turn it off by deleting single letters from its DNA sequence.
May 3, 2018
Mason received the best poster award in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Fellows Symposium.
Congratulations!
December 13, 2017
In a new study out in Nature Communications, Lian and coworkers came up with a clever way to make many changes all at once in yeast. And they aren’t limited to just deleting genes either. They can transcriptionally activate, transcriptionally interfere, or delete specific genes. Which is where they got their clever acronym for their process—CRISPR-AID.
By: Barry Starr, Ph.D.
November 20, 2017
Expanding the potential of metabolic engineering
A new research endeavor, led by Professor Huimin Zhao, Steven L. Miller Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, aims to gain a better understanding of two non-model organisms with unique characteristics that could help create specific products.
By: Emily Scott
September 21, 2017
Congratulations!
May 4, 2017
Researchers Develop New Capabilities for Genome-wide Engineering of Yeast.
University of Illinois researchers describe how their successful integration of several cutting-edge technologies—creation of standardized genetic components, implementation of customizable genome editing tools, and large-scale automation of molecular biology laboratory tasks—will enhance our ability to work with yeast.
By: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
April 20, 2017
Congratulations!
April 11, 2017
CRISPR Awakens Sleeping Genes, Brings Drug Candidates to Light
A research team led by chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Huimin Zhao, Ph.D., has been using a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology to look for new drug candidates. Specifically, Dr. Zhao and colleagues, including colleagues from Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, have been using a CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in strategy to activate silent biosynthetic gene clusters (BCGs) in bacteria.
By: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News
April 10, 2017
CRISPR mines bacterial genome for hidden pharmaceutical treasure
Illinois researchers used CRISPR technology to activate silent gene clusters in Streptomyces bacteria, a potential treasure trove of new classes of drugs.
By: Liz Ahlberg Touchstone
April 7, 2017
Both Scott and Sherri have been chosen as a recipient of 2017 MCB Summer Research Award.
Congratulations!
February 10, 2017
Revolutionizing Biotechnology with Artificial Restriction Enzymes
The Pyrococcus furiosus Argonaute (PfAgo)-based platform for generating artificial restriction enzymes (AREs) is capable of recognizing and cleaving DNA sequences at virtually any arbitrary site and generating defined sticky ends of varying length.
By: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News
February 9, 2017
New method of genetic engineering indispensable tool in biotechnological applications
Research by Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Huimin Zhao and graduate student Behnam Enghiad at the University of Illinois is pioneering a new method of genetic engineering for basic and applied biological research and medicine.
By: Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
January, 2017
Jiazhang received the prestigious Shen Postdoc Fellowship, while both Yajie and Behnam received the 3M fellowship.
Congratulations!
December 3, 2015
Data Storage on DNA Can Keep It Safe for Centuries
In two recent experiments, a team of computer scientists at the University of Washington and Microsoft, and a separate group at the University of Illinois, have shown that DNA molecules can be the basis for an archival storage system potentially capable of storing all of the world’s digital information in roughly nine liters of solution, about the amount of liquid in a case of wine.
By: John Markoff
November 2, 2015
Ran received the second-place award for oral presentation at the 14th Annual ChBE Graduate Research Symposium.Congratulations!
June 29, 2015
Yajie, Behnam, and Ran received the Dow Chemical Fellowship, 3M Fellowship, and Hanratty Travel award from the chemical and biomolecular engineering department, respectively.
Congratulations to all of them!
June 10, 2015
I am very pleased to announce that Yuhao Min (supervised by Tony) has been awarded the prestigious John E. Gieseking Scholarship ($3000) for Summer 2015 semester from the department of chemistry at UIUC.
Congratulations!
May 28, 2015
Tong Si has received the 2014 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad. It is a highly competitive award which is sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Education and recognizes the academic excellence of self-financed (non-government sponsored) Chinese students pursuing a PhD across all fields of study overseas.
December 14, 2013
Some of biology's best technologies come from unexpected places. Now, proteins from a feared plant pest are poised to make genome engineering, the large-scale, directed manipulation of genes, routine for researchers. These proteins, called transcription activator–like effectors (TALEs), can be programmed to home in on specific DNA sequences and carry out an action once there. When attached to enzymes called nucleases that cut DNA, for example, they can knock out a gene or change its sequence. Engineered TALEs have now targeted a wide range of genes in a variety of organisms.
By: Elizabeth Pennisi
December 5, 2013
New method of DNA editing allows synthetic biologists to unlock secrets of a bacterial genome.
A group of University of Illinois researchers has demonstrated the use of an innovative DNA engineering technique to discover potentially valuable functions hidden within bacterial genomes
By: Institute for Genomic Biology
April 12, 2012
Illinois engineering professor awarded Guggenheim Fellowship
University of Illinois professor Huimin Zhao has received a 2012 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship.
By: Liz Ahlberg
August 25, 2011
New sensors streamline detection of estrogenic compounds
Researchers have engineered new sensors that fluoresce in the presence of compounds that interact with estrogen receptors in human cells. The sensors detect natural or human-made substances that alter estrogenic signaling in the body.
By: Diana Yates
Spring, 2011
Finding Sweet Spot of Yeast is Synthetic Biologist Zhao’s Quest.
EBI Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 1, Spring 2011.
May 14, 2009
Research Team Uncovers New Antibiotics in Unexplored Class of Compounds
Microbiologist William Metcalf is leading a U of I team in a $7 million, five-year effort to create antibiotics from a little-known class of compounds called phosphonates.
By: Doug Peterson
September 26, 2008
New way to make malaria medicine also first step in finding new antibiotics
By: Melissa Edwards, News Bureau, UIUC
December 10, 2006
UI researchers using faster-growing bacteria for antibiotics.
By: Greg Kline, The News-Gazette
November 27, 2006
Cloning techniques produce FDA-approved Antibiotic.
By: Kristen Aramthanapon, News Bureau, UIUC
May 5, 2005
By creating molecular bridge, scientists change function of a protein.
By: Jim Barlow, News Bureau, UIUC
April 7, 2005
Researchers improve design of genetic on-off switches.
By: Jim Barlow, News Bureau, UIUC
April 1, 2004
Fatty acid pathway, glucose produce triacetic acid lactone.
By: Jim Barlow, News Bureau, UIUC