Winners announced for 2026 Life Inspiring art, science contest

RNAscope confocal images of mouse brain with watercolor textures photographed and digitally layered into a single composition
The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to congratulate the 2026 winners of its “Life Inspiring” art competition, which celebrates the intersection of life sciences and art.Students, staff, and faculty were encouraged to submit original works of art reflecting their scientific...

RNA barcodes enable high-speed mapping of connections in the brain

Comingling RNA barcodes, each correlating to a neuron, indicate where neurons connect in the brain
By tagging neurons with molecular “barcodes,” researchers mapped connections among thousands of neurons in the mouse brain with unprecedented speed and resolution.The approach could expand understanding not only of the layout of elaborate networks in the brain, but also how the brain functions,...

Alzheimer’s gene boosts seizures, but pathway can be targeted, study finds

Members of the Hee Jung Chung research group gather around the lab benches
The gene most strongly correlated with Alzheimer’s disease also boosts seizure activity by decreasing levels of ions pumps and energy-producing enzymes in neurons, a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found. Furthermore, the energy-making pathway was stimulated...