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Research

  • A multi-colored 3D depiction of an atomic model of ExoN and how it recognizes the sofosbuvir. Background shows actual cryo-EM images of ExoN particles, which are gray colored.
    ‘Atomic snapshots’ of proofreading enzyme could lead to better COVID-19 drugs

    A research team led by Yang Yang used images from a cryogenic electron microscope to better understand why a common type of antiviral drug struggles to fight off the virus that causes COVID-19, findings that will guide designs for more effective treatment.

    May 6, 2026

  • Tichakorn Wongpiromsarn
    For autonomous robots, not all rules are equal

    Autonomous robots can follow rules — but what happens when the rules conflict? LAS researchers have developed a new “rulebooks” framework that helps robots make safer, more transparent judgment calls when perfection isn’t possible.

    April 30, 2026

  • An Iowa State professor and doctoral graduate adjust bags covering flowering plants.
    LAS researchers discover that pollinators help maintain plant biodiversity

    A recent study by Brian Wilsey, professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, shows that pollinators help maintain plant biodiversity, suggesting that significant decreases in pollinators could cause a “plant-pollinator extinction vortex.”

    April 14, 2026

  • Matt DeLisi
    Science association honors Matt DeLisi for studies of criminal behavior

    The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is honoring College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Professor and Distinguished Professor Matt DeLisi for his contributions to criminal justice.

    March 26, 2026

  • An illustration of a person in a lab coat holding a plate of vegetables.
    LAS faculty are part of teams awarded PIRS funding for innovative research

    The Iowa State University Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) has awarded $150,000 in 2026 Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grant (PIRS) funding to support three faculty-led teams pursuing innovative projects addressing human health, computing technologies, and next‑generation vaccines.

    March 11, 2026

  • A man is sitting at a table in the dark with a light shining over him.
    New psychology research links tired minds to unreliable evidence

    While research shows sleep-related fatigue affects how we think and feel, the impact of sleep loss on the reliability of statements and confessions in the legal system has received far less attention. A new research synthesis from Iowa State researchers examines this issue, including the need for evidence‑based standards to help judges and investigators recognize and account for sleep disruption in the legal process.

    March 4, 2026

  • Aaron Rossini of Iowa State and Ames National Laboratory with the nuclear magnetic resonance instrument in his Hach Hall lab.
    Chemistry professor’s research leads to improved drugs, catalysts, and semiconductors

    Iowa State's Aaron Rossini has developed solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods that are helping design better drugs, catalysts and semiconductors. He was just part of a national panel that explained how NMR tools are "a cornerstone of modern research."

    February 19, 2026

  • Associate Professor Brett VanVeller and a colleague working in a chemistry lab.
    Chemistry professor awarded 2026 Bailey Award for innovative research

    Brett VanVeller, associate professor of chemistry, has been awarded the 2026 Bailey Research Career Development Award from Iowa State University for his research into unlocking bottromycin, a relatively rare antibiotic with a unique mechanism that could outsmart resistant bacteria.

    February 11, 2026