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Brilliant Futures
A Chance To Explore: Inspiring Learning that Leads to Inspired Change.
The Pursuit of Discovery
In LAS, the search for answers has led to groundbreaking interdisciplinary work in complex issues facing society, from health and aging to the environment.
Through endowed faculty positions, fellowships, and internships, LAS is able to draw the most gifted faculty and students, securing our place among the world's top scientific institutions.
The following are examples of successes as well as promising areas of future research:
Shape-Shifting Robots | Powering Tomorrow | A Nano New World | Discoveries at the Crossroads of Science | Healthy Aging | Global Climate Change | Combatting Cancer | Running Like Clockwork | Atomic Excitement | The Secret Life of Bees
Shape-Shifting Robots
Imagine the potential of rescue robots that could shrink to fit through small holes one minute and expand to scale walls the next. Through the study of abstract shapes known as topology, LAS mathematicians are already attempting to simplify the transformations that could make such robots possible and develop other advanced technology, such as sensor networks that eliminate blind spots, to create a safer world. With your help, they can do so much more.
Powering Tomorrow
Fuel cells have been called "environmentally friendly" and "reliable," but LAS researchers are working hard to add another label to this forward-thinking fuel source: "practical." Already, they have developed the first fuel cell small enough to fit into a phone—technology that's being commercialized to power everything from iPods to plasma TVs—and with your support, they will be shaping a world where sustainable energy powers our lives, as well as our imagination.
A Nano New World
Imagine internal biological sensors the size of a few molecules, guarding the human body against disease. Scientists in LAS are already developing materials for such sensors and studying what happens at the point where they contact biological materials, including proteins and cells. With your help, this pivotal research could one day lead to the creation of coatings for new implantable devices and drugs that only target certain tissues, producing advanced new weapons in the war against death and disease.
Discoveries at the Crossroads of Science
They are the crime scene investigators of the cosmos. Except that LAS chemists and astronomers aren't looking for just any evidence—they're looking for the fingerprints of space. By measuring the "electromagnetic fingerprint" of exotic molecules created in the lab, researchers can now hunt for similar molecules in the universe, answering major questions about chemical processes in space. It's all part of the emerging field of "astrochemistry" that LAS is pioneering, that, with additional resources, will lead to many exciting new discoveries at the crossroads of science.
Healthy Aging
It's a sad fact of life. Starting in our 20s, memory and cognitive functions begin to decline. But researchers at the U of I are developing powerful new ways to lessen the impact of aging. Through advances in computer technology, genetics, pharmacology, and brain imaging, researchers are leaning how the brain's neural circuitry encodes and retrieves information across time. With your help, they will discover ways to enhance cognition and extend the benefits of a healthy mind for a population that's rapidly aging.
Global Climate Change
Global climate change is as old as the earth itself, which is why researchers at the U of I are exploring ancient shifts in plant biology and ecosystems to gain new insights on current climate trends. From the DNA of white spruce trees that adapted to the last glacial period, to Alaskan lake sediments that reflect recent global warming periods, researchers, with your support, are turning to the past to see what the future may hold.
Combating Cancer
While estrogen-replacement therapy reduces menopausal symptoms, it also increases the risk of breast cancer. That's why LAS scientists are unraveling the mysteries of estrogen to help women and their doctors make smart decisions on therapy. But that's just one of the ways we're fighting cancer, and you can help. Through groundbreaking research, we've discovered an enzyme that tricks cancer cells into self-destructing and we've given doctors a new test that will soon show—with 90 percent accuracy—whether a woman will respond to hormone therapy to fight breast cancer.
Running Like Clockwork
The human body runs on a 24-hour internal clock, and when that clock malfunctions, major problems can occur. With the precision of master clockmakers, LAS scientists are examining the "biological gears" of the internal clock to help solve these problems. Already, they've discovered a key enzyme that lets us put the night behind us and start a new day. With additional support, future developments could soon help prevent many health-related problems from mild sleep disorders to major brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, significantly improving the everyday life of millions.
Atomic Excitement
Imagine that you could design molecules powered and controlled by light. LAS researchers have opened the door to this possibility through the study of atoms in molecules in their excited, or high-energy, state. Recently, theoretical chemists in LAS have broken through several bottlenecks to explain how atoms and electrons respond to light, with far-reaching implications. From computer circuits that switch at tremendous speeds to molecules that release drugs with unprecedented precision, your support will enable us to do research today that could revolutionize the world of tomorrow.
The Secret Life of Bees
Bees do it. Ants do it. And in the near future, LAS researchers hope that emergency workers will do it as well. Psychologists, entomologists, and civil engineers from the U of I are currently studying how insects collaborate so that they may improve human relief efforts during disasters like Hurricane Katrina. From the genetics of honeybees to the spread of viruses, to the response of ant colonies under attack, your support will enable researchers to analyze interactions in smaller worlds that may have vast implications for our own.
