The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

The Beckman Institute focuses on three themes: molecular science and engineering, integrative imaging, and intelligent systems.

Its core research facilities include the Biomedical Imaging Center and the Imaging Technology Group (ITG), which also includes Beckman's Microscopy Suite and Visualization Laboratory.

The sea slug, Pleurobranchea californica

Study: Brain circuits for locomotion evolved long before appendages and skeletons

A new study finds parallels between the brain architecture that drives locomotion in sea slugs and that of more complex segmented creatures with jointed skeletons and appendages. 
MOV10 via Alphafold2

Researchers uncover a regulatory site in RNA helicase MOV10 and its effect on mRNAs targeted for AGO2 silencing

University of Illinois scientists have identified the phosphorylation site and its consequence on the function of MOV10, an RNA helicase expressed in early brain development and required for embryo viability, illuminating this RNA binding proteins’ relation to microRNA pathways and its effect on...
The 2023 cohort of the Beckman Institute Postdoctoral Fellows Program (from left): Kelly Powderly; Patricia Cintora; Zhengchang Kou; Yannan Hu; Zane Thornburg; and Alejandro De la Cadena. They are standing outside in a group with arms folded, smiling for the camera.

Members of MCB labs earn newly-established fellowships focused on cancer research

The Beckman Institute has announced its 2023 class of six postdoctoral fellows. Fellows are selected in accordance with the core values of the institute: excellence, collaboration, integrity, transdisciplinarity, exploration, and diversity.
Emad Tajkhorshid poses by journal covers

Researchers demonstrate new cancer drug development method

Researchers from the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois Chicago collaborated to highlight lipid-protein interaction as a new avenue for oncology drug development.
Exterior of Beckman Institute at nighttime. Lights in the building are on and trees along path to the building are illuminated.

Research: Reading for pleasure can strengthen memory in older adults

Researchers at the Beckman Institute, with help from the Champaign Public Library, investigated the potential benefits of reading in improving memory. They found that regular, engaged leisure reading can strengthen memory skills in older adults, laying the groundwork for better practices in...
Engineering North Quad - Fall Autumn Season - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

A different kind of cell signal: New method enables clear, precise imaging of human cells

Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology have developed an innovative way to ‘see’ the fine structure and chemical composition of a human cell with unmatched clarity and precision. Their technique, which appeared in PNAS earlier this week, takes a creative — and...
Wide exterior shot of the Beckman Institute on a summer day.

Researchers funded to develop ultrasound imaging tools to study Alzheimer's disease

Interdisciplinary researchers at the Beckman Institute, including Molecular & Integrative Physiology Professor Dan Llano, received federal funding to develop ultrasound imaging methods for studying the neurovascular changes underlying Alzheimer's disease. Their low-cost, widely accessible...
Wide exterior shot of the Beckman Institute on a summer day.

MCB students among Beckman Institute's 2022 fellowship, award recipients

Eleven students have been selected to receive 2022 Beckman Institute fellowships and awards. The awards, which fund interdisciplinary research that takes place over the summer, will be celebrated at a virtual gathering on July 29, 2022.
Standing: Pengfei Song (left); Dan Llano. Seated: Qi You.

New ultrasound tool measures blood flow, images microvasculature in the brain

Researchers at the Beckman Institute developed a technique for producing super-resolution ultrasound images of tissue microvasculature in just a fraction of the time previously needed. Their work could enable future research into the neurovascular mechanisms behind conditions like Alzheimer’s...
Defne Gorgun Ozgulbas poses for headshot in Beckman Institute.

PhD student named a Beckman Institute Graduate Fellow

The Beckman Institute has announced seven University of Illinois students as 2022 Beckman Institute Graduate Fellows, including MCB PhD student Defne Gorgun Ozgulbas from the Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology.