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Researchers discover a way to reduce waste and save energy in making an industrial chemical
 Sometimes less is more. That’s what chemistry researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discovered as they were developing a new chemical reaction to produce a widely used chemical additive that gives polypropylene near-glass-like clarity and lower processing...
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Jonathan Sweedler wins Beckman Institute Vision and Spirit Award
The Beckman Institute recognized two community members during its annual April celebration of Arnold Beckman’s birth.Microscopist and Outreach Specialist T Josek won the...
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Chemistry researchers are part of CABBI team working to revolutionize plant bioengineering
As the global population grows, the demand for food and energy is increasing even as extreme weather events make crops more vulnerable to stress. While traditional breeding takes years to develop more resilient crops, plant bioengineering offers a faster, more precise way to improve traits for...
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Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch
Drug-carrying DNA aptamers can deliver a one-two punch to leukemia by precisely targeting the elusive cancer stem cells that seed cancer relapses, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report.The aptamers — short single-strand snippets of DNA that can target molecules like...
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Alumnus Taeghwan Hyeon receives Illinois International alumni award for exceptional achievement
 The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois International named chemistry alumnus Taeghwan Hyeon (Seoul National University), Sharifa Sultana (Illinois), Colby Silvert (University of Maryland), Illinois graduate student Mehrdad Mohammadi, and Illinois undergraduate student David...

Research Areas in Chemistry

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Analytical Chemistry
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Chemical Biology
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Inorganic Chemistry
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Materials Chemistry
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Organic Chemistry
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Physical Chemistry

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Spotlight: Chemistry at Illinois & ACS Presidents

Since 1900, 26 alumni or faculty members from Chemistry at Illinois have served as president of The American Chemical Society (ACS), which was founded in 1876 and is one of the world’s largest scientific organizations.