Plants are diverse organisms capable of communication, self-defense, and forming cooperative partnerships with insects; yet these remarkable abilities are often overlooked in the bustle of everyday life. At Pollen Power summer camp, however, middle school students dive into this fascinating world of plant and pollinator interactions, bringing these hidden wonders to light.

Hosted by the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Pollen Power has been transforming the way young minds see the world around them since its inception in 2013. The camp provides a dynamic learning environment filled with a blend of hands-on learning and scientific exploration, that encourages campers to see the world through the eyes of a scientist.

“At Pollen Power, students take something they consider an ‘ordinary everyday thing’ in nature and learn to see it in a new light,” said Sarah Choi, the IGB’s Outreach K-12 Project Manager and lead organizer of Pollen Power camp. “They start to appreciate the plants and pollinators around them. And through our activities and experiments they leave feeling like scientists, with more curiosity about the world around them.”

The camp, funded by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation theme within the IGB and the Champaign Unit 4 School District, welcomed 4th-8th graders this year from June 3rd-7th. Throughout the week, campers engaged in various activities designed to teach them not only about plants and pollinators, but also teamwork, communication, and scientific observation.

In line with Pollen Power tradition, campers broke into small groups mentored by Franklin STEAM Academy staff, and designed and conducted week-long experiments to observe the growth rates of cress seeds under different conditions, such as varying liquids, temperatures, and light exposure. Predictably, seeds given water and sunlight flourished the most, offering practical insights into plant care and environmental factors.

Besides their experiments, the week’s itinerary was packed with diverse and engaging activities, featuring many exciting additions that were new to the camp this year. One highlight of this year's camp was the celebration of the simultaneous emergence of both the 13-year and 17-year cicadas, during which campers collected cicadas and learned the art of insect pinning. This hands-on activity connected the campers to a rare and spectacular natural event, enriching their appreciation of the insect world.

In addition, this year’s camp featured a new storytelling session with children’s author Janice Harrington, who read from her book Rooting for Plants. This session engaged the campers’ imaginations and helped to deepen their connection to plant life and their community. Another standout event was a talk by Todd Krone, co-founder and CEO of PowerPollen, a company innovating in the field of pollen collection and preservation for agriculture. Krone's presentation on pollen biology was followed by an interactive activity, giving campers a glimpse into the exciting applications of pollen science in modern agriculture.

The IGB’s new mobile lab bus also made its debut at Pollen Power. Using the bus's advanced equipment, campers were able to examine and image plants and insect specimens they had collected from a nearby prairie. Campers also toured Prairie Fruit Farms, where they experienced firsthand how local agriculture integrates with natural ecosystems. The farm features goat pastures, organic fruit orchards, and restored prairie, emphasizing the connection between plants, pollinators, and sustainable farming practices.

Throughout the week, the campers explored state-of-the-art facilities in the IGB Core, where they used confocal microscopes and 3D imaging to visualize different pollen particles and reconstruct plant images. They also crafted art from the plants they gathered, creating watercolor paintings with chlorophyll dye they had extracted, and transferring the colors of petals and leaves onto bandanas through hammering.
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By the end of the camp, it was evident that campers had gained a profound appreciation for the plants and pollinators in their environment. Through activities, tours, and expert interactions, Pollen Power provides a rich and varied learning experience that aims to inspire the next generation of scientists.

Rapid tests for COVID-19 have become a gold standard for virus testing, widely available at pharmacy chains and drug stores due to their low cost, speed, and ease of use. However, these tests often fall short in accuracy compared to molecular tests like PCR, especially in the early stages of infection. Recently, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a new rapid test that is more reliable and sensitive than commercial tests, by using DNA nanotechnology instead of antibodies to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Commercial rapid tests for SARS-CoV-2 either the presence of antigens—proteins found on the virus—or antibodies produced by our immune systems in response to infection. While effective when a patient’s infection is well-established, these tests can produce false negatives if conducted too early, when virus levels are low, and the body has not yet mounted a significant immune response. Additionally, prior infection can sometimes trigger a false positive due to lingering antibodies.

The new test, developed by the Illinois team, utilizes DNA nanostructures called DNA nets, specifically designed to bind to the spike proteins on the virus. In a positive sample, the DNA net captures the virus and moves along a test strip, akin to commercial tests. When the virus reaches the test line, which also contains DNA nets, it becomes completely bound. Gold nanoshells intermixed with the nets amplify detection, lighting up to form a bright, easily visible line, indicating a positive COVID-19 result. 

“We took advantage of the large amount of research advances that came out of COVID-19.” said Saurabh Umrao, first author on the study and postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Xing Wang (CGD), a bioengineering faculty. “One being DNA aptamers, which are synthetic DNA molecules that you can design so that they are very specific to a single target. When these are added to the DNA nets, it’s like using a fishing net to catch a specific fish; in this case we’re capturing the whole virus.”

Umrao notes that the new test works on multiple strains of SARS-CoV-2 and is 100 times more sensitive than currently available rapid tests, enabling detection of viral loads as low as 103 viral copies/mL, compared to the 105 viral copies/mL needed for standard commercial tests. Furthermore, by modifying the DNA aptamers in the nets, the tests can be tailored to detect other kinds of viruses as well, Umrao said.

“We’ve been applying for grants to generate funds for clinical trials,” said Umrao. “We want to use actual patient samples and show that this technology can be used not only for early detection of COVID-19, but for other concerning diseases respiratory diseases, as well as blood-borne diseases like HIV.” 

The team has secured intellectual property for this new technology and is refining the test to enhance its portability and ease of use, said Umrao. They also plan to add another test line to the strip that will show if a patient has influenza as well. 

“It is important for people to be able to distinguish whether they have influenza or SARS-CoV-2 to receive the appropriate antiviral therapy,” said Umrao. “But the symptoms for these two diseases are nearly identical. That’s why we plan to add another test line to help people determine which they are infected with.” 

Umrao explained that this innovative testing approach aims to make rapid tests more reliable, enabling early and accurate detection of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. This can help manage and control the spread of infections, improving healthcare outcomes for individuals and communities worldwide.
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The study is published in Analytical Chemistry, and was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The paper can be found at https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03698

We often think of species as separate and distinct, but sometimes they can interbreed and create hybrids. When this happens consistently in a specific area, it forms what’s known as a hybrid zone. These zones can be highly dynamic or remarkably stable, and studying them can reveal key insights into how species boundaries evolve—or sometimes blur. In a new study published in Evolution, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign describe a hybrid zone between two manakin species in Panama that has overall remained relatively stable over the past 30 years.

Hybrids resulting from mixed-species breeding are not uncommon; consider, for example, the mule (horse-donkey) or the liger (lion-tiger). However, many of these classic examples of hybrids are typically infertile and exist only as first-generation crosses. In contrast, along the western edge of Panama, against the Caribbean Sea, a long-term hybrid zone exists between two species of birds, the golden-collared manakin and the white-collared manakin.

Previous research conducted nearly 30 years ago on this hybrid zone found that the genomic center—where the population’s genome is nearly 50% white-collared DNA and 50% golden-collared DNA—did not overlap with the phenotypic transition zone, the area where the population visually transitions from more golden-collared plumage to more white-collared. The previous study found these two areas were about 60 km apart, and until recently, it was unclear whether there had been any changes over the years.

Kira Long, a former graduate student in Jeff Brawn’s lab, now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Idaho, and her team decided to compare the current population of manakins in the hybrid zone to those from the previous study ~30 years ago. Doing so would allow the researchers to see whether the genomic center or the phenotypic transition zone has moved over time, and how stable the genomic and phenotypic traits are across the population.

“Currently, hybrids at the genomic center look phenotypically almost identical to the golden-collared manakins,” explained Long. “They have the golden yellow collar and dark green belly of golden-collared manakins. What’s crazy is that these hybrids are the most genetically mixed between white and golden-collared manakins, yet they look almost identical to the golden-collared parents. Whereas the birds that visually look the most mixed have genetically a majority of white-collared DNA.”

Long’s team includes Illinois researchers Jeff Brawn, a professor emeritus of natural resources and environmental sciences, Julian Catchen (CIS/GNDP), an associate professor of integrative biology, and his former graduate student Angel Rivera-Colón, as well as collaborators from the University of Maryland College Park and the Smithsonian Institution.   
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Over four years, the team captured and took blood samples from over 600 manakins across different areas of the hybrid zone. The blood samples were sequenced using RADseq to examine thousands of genomic markers across the genome. These were then compared to samples taken from museum specimens housed at the Smithsonian Institution that were used in the original, older study. The team also measured phenotypic traits of the wild-caught and historical birds, known to differ between golden-collared and white-collared manakins, including feather coloration and length.

After comparing the historical and wild-caught bird genomes, the researchers found that the genomic center of the population had not moved in approximately 30 years. Less than 3% of the genomic markers tested had changed over time. Furthermore, the phenotypic transition zone had also remained stable, with only one trait—belly color—having shifted in location over time by about 10 km. 

“What this means is that if you went to the same location in the phenotypic transition of the hybrid zone 30 years ago, you would see birds with more yellow bellies, whereas if you went to that same spot now you would see birds with more olive-colored bellies,” said Long. “The hybrid bellies are essentially getting darker over time. This may mean that there is some sort of selection for the green bellies in these populations where it is spreading.”

Hybrids have varying success in the animal kingdom depending on the species that are mixed. There is a hybrid zone of cottonwood trees, for example, that is extremely stable, only moving slowly during interglacial periods, according to Long. Hybrids of many species often have less fitness than the parental species because they are too intermediate in their traits, but sometimes hybrids are able to capitalize on this and find success, by making use of environmental niches that are between the optimums for the parental species.

According to Long, the population of hybrid manakins seem to be doing just fine, which may explain why the hybrid zone is so stable. While there is evidence of decreased hatching success in the hybrids—which Long says will be published soon in her next article—she notes that this is essentially nature filtering out the genetic combinations between the white-collared and golden-collared manakins that do not work. Once they hatch, the hybrids’ survival appears similar to the parental species, and they do not seem to have issues finding mates, according to Long.

The next big steps for this system is to determine if female choice is affecting selection for specific hybrid phenotypes and determine the underlying genomic architecture of these traits, Long said. This may provide insight into why hybrids typically resemble the golden-collared species and why the transition zone for belly color is shifting while other phenotypic traits remain relatively stable among hybrids. 

“It’s thought the females prefer golden-collared colors, and that might be why the more olive belly color, which is a trait of golden-collared manakins, is spreading in the hybrids,” said Long. “We have indirect evidence for this, but it’s never been formally tested, so it would be great to get that last piece of the puzzle.”
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The study was funded by the NSF, USDA, the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of Natural History. The paper can be found at https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpae076

The NSF Molecule Maker Lab Institute, hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is a cutting-edge research institute focused on advancing the creation and study of molecules using AI and machine learning. Researchers at the institute combine expertise in chemistry and biology with advanced tools to accelerate the discovery and manufacturing of important molecules, such as those used in therapeutic drugs. Recently, MMLI unveiled two new tools and a significant upgrade to an existing tool in the AlphaSynthesis suite, further enhancing researchers’ ability to synthesize functional molecules.

AlphaSynthesis is an MMLI platform offering click-and-go tools with a user-friendly interface, aimed at integrating knowledge of molecules and molecular synthesis across publicly available databases and publications. The suite currently includes two AI tools developed over the four years since the institute’s inception: Contrastive Learning enabled Enzyme ANnotation (CLEAN), which can accurately predict enzyme function based on amino acid sequences, and ChemScraper, which can extract chemical structures of molecules from publication texts. The suite also includes Molli, an online tool for creating catalysts and extracting features from molecules.

“A key deliverable of the institute is to develop new AI tools that enable highly efficient discovery and synthesis of important molecules,” said Huimin Zhao (BSD leader/CABBI/CGD/MMG), Steven L. Miller Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Director of MMLI. “We’ve designed a variety of AI tools in the AlphaSynthesis suite as an end-to-end pipeline for molecular discovery and synthesis.”

Among the newly announced AI tools is NovoStoic, which uses a computational procedure to plan enzymatic synthesis routes for creating a target molecule. Many molecules of interest are derived from microorganisms that have enzymes or gene clusters necessary for their creation. NovoStoic leverages this by determining the specific biochemical steps needed to generate the desired molecule using enzymes or microbes, optimizing the process, said Zhao.

Another new tool is Somn, which uses a machine learning model to optimize chemical reactions, by improving catalysts and predicting the best conditions for the desired reactions to occur. Zhao explained the model specifically predicts the appropriate ligands, solvents, and bases that are needed for creating target molecular reactions.

The new suite also includes updates to Chemscraper. Now the AI tool not only extracts and creates chemical structures from text, such as articles or books, but it can also mine the literature for figures of chemical diagrams. Zhao explained that the tool can also create 3D chemical structures based on these images, allowing researchers to visualize the details of the structures.
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These advancements mark a significant leap forward in the field of molecular innovation, making it easier and faster for researchers to develop new molecules. As MMLI continues to push the boundaries of molecular science, the potential for new discoveries and applications expands, benefiting various fields from medicine to materials science.