Researchers have developed an ultra-mild bisulfite sequencing method (UMBS-seq) that preserves DNA integrity while delivering highly accurate methylation measurements. The new approach overcomes long-standing limitations of traditional bisulfite and enzymatic methods, enabling more reliable detection of cancer-related epigenetic signals. The technology, published in Nature Communications and licensed to Ellis Bio, could improve liquid biopsy testing and accelerate development of methylation-based diagnostics.

Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) has awarded four years of funding ($4.8 million) to The Grainger College of Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign. The award supports a multidisciplinary effort to identify and understand two-level system (TLS) defects in superconducting quantum hardware, a major source of error in qubits used for quantum computing. Researchers from physics, materials science, and electrical engineering will combine growth, fabrication, characterization, and atomic-scale simulation to trace the origin of TLS defects. The goal: establish a recipe for reducing these defects and thereby improve the performance and scalability of superconducting quantum processors.