Research and Innovation

A sign located inside Worrilow Hall, "Feed the World, Protect the Planet."

Feed the world. Protect the planet.

 

Extraordinary challenges require extraordinary solutions. For 150 years, the daring innovations of our graduates have shaped the world we know today. Now, we carry on that daring spirit, using cutting-edge technology and scientific advances to envision a better tomorrow.

Explore the exciting research we’re leading and the entrepreneurial ecosystem we’re building.

Explore Current Research

University of Delaware tick research aims to understand host specificity of Lyme disease: youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=com.synechron.udel.models.functions.SubstrAfter

UD Research Initiatives

In an age of technology and innovation, the future has never looked more exciting.

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Research News
  • A friendly microbial hitchhiker

    October 13, 2025 | Written by Katie Peikes
    In plants, a healthy bacteria produces an amino acid called ergothioneine that can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. This bacteria could boost crops’ nutritional value. University of Delaware researchers studied how well Streptomyces coelicolor M145 could enhance ergothioneine levels in spring wheat. The findings suggest there are natural ways to enrich crops’ protein, to help feed the world.
  • Cultivating versatility

    October 10, 2025 | Written by Molly Schafer | Photos by Michele Walfred
    At the University of Delaware Carvel Research and Education Center, Borel Global Fellow Mary Starford Matovolwa studies amaranth’s tolerance to drought and cold in an effort to improve global food security.
  • Informing landscape decisions

    September 18, 2025 | Written by Katie Peikes | Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson
    Aleena Sabir is a senior studying landscape architecture. Over the summer, she researched campus maintenance related to planting for UD’s grounds crew. She inventoried plants and worked to create a landscape maintenance plan related to species in an area of campus called The Grove. Her work is the start of a landscape maintenance plan that will directly impact campus.
  • Snack attack coming? Meet your next crunch

    September 16, 2025 | Written by Tracey Bryant | Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson | Video by Jeffrey C. Chase
    Brandon Tang, a UD junior majoring in mechanical engineering, worked over the summer to optimize the process that transforms lima beans into savory puffed snacks. Tang worked with his adviser, Dr. Hui Ru Tan, a postdoctoral researcher in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Lima beans are an important crop for Delaware. The research could lead to more economic gains for farmers.

Faculty expert spotlights

Behnam Abasht

Prof. Abasht investigates wooden breast, a novel muscle disorder of unknown etiology in commercial broiler chickens.
Michael Crossley

Prof. Crossley seeks to develop and refine innovative pest management strategies that benefit growers, the environment and society.