The departmental preeminence in livestock, companion, and biomedical animal research, teaching, and Extension includes the areas of nutrition, immunology and behavior, reproductive biology, microbiology, genomics and bioinformatics, meat science and muscle biology, production and environmental management, precision livestock farming, and humane education. Founded in 1867 as Illinois's flagship public university, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign empowers a global community of students, scholars, and alumni to change the world through bold, innovative research and transformative education.