Latest News from: University of California San Diego

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Newswise: Can Field Sobriety Tests Identify Drivers Under the Influence of Cannabis?
Released: 2-Aug-2023 11:15 AM EDT
Can Field Sobriety Tests Identify Drivers Under the Influence of Cannabis?
University of California San Diego

Road safety is a critical issue in an era of increasing cannabis legalization. Cannabis is known to impair reaction time, decision-making, coordination and perception—skills necessary for safe driving. In the last three years, California has seen a 62% increase in the number of fatal crashes involving drug-related impairment.

   
Newswise: New Resource Harmonizes 16S and Shotgun Sequencing Data for Microbiome Research
26-Jul-2023 3:10 PM EDT
New Resource Harmonizes 16S and Shotgun Sequencing Data for Microbiome Research
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego scientists debut Greengenes2, a massive reference database that could be used to reconcile years of microbiome studies.

Newswise: Dynamic Pricing Superior to Organic Waste Bans in Preventing Climate Change
Released: 26-Jul-2023 5:45 PM EDT
Dynamic Pricing Superior to Organic Waste Bans in Preventing Climate Change
University of California San Diego

While composting and organic waste ban policies are gaining popularity across the United States, a new study from the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management finds dynamic pricing could be the most effective way for grocery chains to keep perishables out of landfills, reducing food waste by 21% or more.

   
Newswise: Fly Toolkit Created for Investigating COVID-19 Infection Mechanisms
Released: 21-Jul-2023 7:05 PM EDT
Fly Toolkit Created for Investigating COVID-19 Infection Mechanisms
University of California San Diego

Researchers have created a resource for analyzing how viruses infect human cells. The fruit fly-based toolkit provides a shortcut for assessing SARS-CoV-2 genes and understanding how they interact with human proteins, offering researchers a resource for new COVID-related drug therapies.

Newswise: Finding Game-Changing Superconductors with Machine Learning Tools
Released: 20-Jul-2023 5:35 PM EDT
Finding Game-Changing Superconductors with Machine Learning Tools
University of California San Diego

Superconductors - found in MRI machines, nuclear fusion reactors and magnetic-levitation trains - work by conducting electricity with no resistance at temperatures near absolute zero, or -459.67F. The search for a conventional superconductor that can function at room temperature has been ongoing for roughly a century, but research has sped up dramatically in the last decade because of new advances in machine learning (ML) using supercomputers such as Expanse at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at UC San Diego.

Newswise: Gulf War Illness Caused by Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Not Inflammation
11-Jul-2023 5:20 PM EDT
Gulf War Illness Caused by Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Not Inflammation
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego scientists contest longstanding hypothesis about mysterious illness affecting Gulf War veterans, providing first direct evidence that symptoms are driven by impaired mitochondria.

Newswise: $1.5 Million Donation Supports Research on Effects of Psychedelic DMT on the Brain
Released: 11-Jul-2023 11:30 AM EDT
$1.5 Million Donation Supports Research on Effects of Psychedelic DMT on the Brain
University of California San Diego

A gift of $1.5 million from Eugene Jhong will help launch a new research program within the UC San Diego Psychedelic and Health Research Initiative to learn more about the biological and psychological effects of DMT in humans.

Newswise: New Insight into How Plant Cells Divide
6-Jul-2023 1:00 PM EDT
New Insight into How Plant Cells Divide
University of California San Diego

Plant and animal stem cells both rely on the cytoskeleton to divide properly, but a new study finds that they use them in opposite ways—while animal cells pull on the cytoskeleton, plant cells push it away. Harnessing that action could help scientists engineer more resilient plants.

Newswise: New Genetic Technology Developed to Halt Malaria-Spreading Mosquitoes
Released: 5-Jul-2023 3:05 PM EDT
New Genetic Technology Developed to Halt Malaria-Spreading Mosquitoes
University of California San Diego

Using CRISPR technology, scientists have engineered a new way to genetically suppress populations of Anopheles gambiae, the mosquitoes that primarily spread malaria in Africa and contribute to economic poverty in affected regions.

   
Newswise: ChatGPT Tricks Teachers
Released: 28-Jun-2023 2:05 PM EDT
ChatGPT Tricks Teachers
University of California San Diego

Can you tell if what you’re reading right now was written by a human or generated by artificial intelligence? Do you care? Those are essentially the questions that University of California San Diego researchers asked in an experiment with ChatGPT at a regional high school.

Newswise: Plants Pollinated by Honey Bees Produce Lower-quality Offspring
23-Jun-2023 2:05 PM EDT
Plants Pollinated by Honey Bees Produce Lower-quality Offspring
University of California San Diego

In a first of its kind comparison, UC San Diego scientists have shown that pollination by honey bees, which are not native to the Americas, produces offspring of considerably inferior quality (lower fitness) than offspring resulting from native pollinators.

Newswise: One-Two Punch: Novel Drug Pairing Could Beat Pancreatic Cancer
27-Jun-2023 8:00 AM EDT
One-Two Punch: Novel Drug Pairing Could Beat Pancreatic Cancer
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego researchers find a combination of drugs outperformed other treatments in human and mouse models of pancreatic cancer; now urge clinical trial.

20-Jun-2023 8:00 AM EDT
Walkable Neighborhoods Help Adults Socialize, Increase Community
University of California San Diego

Adults who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to socialize and have a stronger sense of community, report researchers at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science.

   
Newswise: Tethering of Shattered Chromosomal Fragments Paves Way for New Cancer Therapies
Released: 15-Jun-2023 12:00 PM EDT
Tethering of Shattered Chromosomal Fragments Paves Way for New Cancer Therapies
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego scientists discover shattered chromosomal fragments are tethered together during cell division before being rearranged; destroying the tether may help prevent cancerous mutations.

Newswise: Researchers Find an Immune System ‘Trip Wire’ That Detects COVID-19
6-Jun-2023 7:05 PM EDT
Researchers Find an Immune System ‘Trip Wire’ That Detects COVID-19
University of California San Diego

Biologists have identified a previously unknown way that our immune system detects viruses. The immune protein CARD8 acts as a trip wire to detect a range of viruses, including the virus that causes COVID. They also found that CARD8 functions differently among species and varies between humans.

Newswise: When Water Temperatures Change, the Molecular Motors of Cephalopods Do Too
7-Jun-2023 11:30 AM EDT
When Water Temperatures Change, the Molecular Motors of Cephalopods Do Too
University of California San Diego

Working with live squid hatchlings at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego scientists find the animals can tune their proteome on the fly in response to changes in ocean temperature via the unique process of RNA recoding. The findings inspire new questions about basic protein function.

Newswise: Rethink, Rewrite, Redefine—How Biodegradable Plastics Are Reshaping Sustainability
Released: 1-Jun-2023 10:35 AM EDT
Rethink, Rewrite, Redefine—How Biodegradable Plastics Are Reshaping Sustainability
University of California San Diego

Researchers at UC San Diego have spent many years developing a biodegradable plastic alternative made from algae. This algae-based polymer has already been used to make surfboards, flip flops and walking shoes. A new book, published by Elsevier, details the basic science of creating bio-based polymers, lifecycle assessments and a techno-economic analysis.

Newswise: Groundbreaking Images of Root Chemicals Offer New Insights on Plant Growth
Released: 25-May-2023 7:05 PM EDT
Groundbreaking Images of Root Chemicals Offer New Insights on Plant Growth
University of California San Diego

Applying imaging technology to plant roots, researchers have developed a new understanding of chemicals that are responsible for plant growth. The chemical “roadmap” identifies where key molecules are distributed along corn roots and how their placement factors into the plant’s maturation.

Newswise: $2.5M Gift Targets Gaps in Circadian Biology and Medicine
Released: 23-May-2023 3:15 PM EDT
$2.5M Gift Targets Gaps in Circadian Biology and Medicine
University of California San Diego

A $2.5 million initiative supported by philanthropists Irwin and Joan Jacobs has created the Stuart and Barbara L. Brody Endowed Chair in Circadian Biology and Medicine, along with a supporting research fund, to target largely unexplored areas related to circadian biology and patient health.

   
Released: 23-May-2023 1:15 PM EDT
UC San Diego Named 7th Best U.S. Public University by Center for World University Rankings
University of California San Diego

The University of California San Diego has been named No. 7 among U.S. public universities in the latest Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), rising one spot from the previous year.

Newswise: Viewers Actually ‘Binge-Watch’ TV with a lot of Self-Control
22-May-2023 8:10 PM EDT
Viewers Actually ‘Binge-Watch’ TV with a lot of Self-Control
University of California San Diego

If viewers sometimes feel guilty about binge-watching television programing, they really shouldn’t. Though its name implies impulsive behavior, binge-watching TV is a common activity planned out by viewers, suggests new research from the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management and School of Global Policy and Strategy.

Newswise: UC San Diego First to Test Cancer Drugs in Space Using Private Astronaut Mission
Released: 22-May-2023 5:00 PM EDT
UC San Diego First to Test Cancer Drugs in Space Using Private Astronaut Mission
University of California San Diego

The latest space experiments from UC San Diego and Axiom Space will explore therapies for breast and colorectal cancer aboard the ISS, and monitor astronauts’ stem cell health over time.

Newswise: A New Map Reveals the Complicated World in Which Cells Seek to Repair Damaged DNA
Released: 22-May-2023 11:50 AM EDT
A New Map Reveals the Complicated World in Which Cells Seek to Repair Damaged DNA
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego scientists develop an interactive software that enables scientists to better investigate the DNA damage response.

Newswise: Artificial Intelligence Catalyzes Gene Activation Research and Uncovers Rare DNA Sequences
Released: 19-May-2023 1:40 PM EDT
Artificial Intelligence Catalyzes Gene Activation Research and Uncovers Rare DNA Sequences
University of California San Diego

Biologists have used machine learning, a type of AI, to identify “synthetic extreme” DNA sequences with specifically designed functions in gene activation. They tested 50 million DNA sequences and found synthetic DNA sequences with activities that could be useful in biotechnology and medicine.

Newswise: The Acute Problem of Chronic Disease
Released: 10-May-2023 1:05 PM EDT
The Acute Problem of Chronic Disease
University of California San Diego

In medicine and science, the term “pathogenesis” describes the origin and development of disease. There is not, however, a broadly accepted term to describe the other half of the equation: the process of healing and recovery.

Newswise: T Cells Can Activate Themselves to Fight Tumors
Released: 8-May-2023 11:30 AM EDT
T Cells Can Activate Themselves to Fight Tumors
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego scientists find an auto-signaling mechanism driving the T cell anti-tumor response; findings may inspire new cancer therapeutics and biomarkers.

Released: 4-May-2023 7:40 AM EDT
High School Students Learn the Basics of Base Editing to Cure “GFP-itis”
University of California San Diego

Genome editing is used to modify the genes of living organisms to elicit certain traits, such as climate-resilient crops or treating human disease at the genetic level. It has become increasingly popular in agriculture, medicine and basic science research over the past decade, and will continue to be relevant and utilized well into the future.

   
Newswise: Air Pollution May Increase Risk of Dementia, Complicated by Genetics
Released: 2-May-2023 2:00 PM EDT
Air Pollution May Increase Risk of Dementia, Complicated by Genetics
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego researchers describe how exposure to ambient air pollution, such as car exhaust and power plant emissions — is associated with a measurably greater risk of developing dementia over time.

Newswise:Video Embedded uc-san-diego-expert-shares-insights-on-war-in-ukraine
VIDEO
Released: 1-May-2023 12:05 PM EDT
UC San Diego Expert Shares Insights on War in Ukraine
University of California San Diego

Jesse Driscoll, associate professor of political science at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, has authored a new book, “Ukraine's Unnamed War.” Driscoll traveled to Ukraine to begin researching the book in 2014. In this Q&A and video, Driscoll discusses how the current conflict emerged from the ragged settlement of 2014-2016 and shares insights on what to expect as the largest war in recent European history grinds forward.

Newswise:Video Embedded scientists-slow-aging-by-engineering-longevity-in-cells
VIDEO
24-Apr-2023 9:00 PM EDT
Scientists Slow Aging by Engineering Longevity in Cells
University of California San Diego

Researchers have developed a biosynthetic “clock” that keeps cells from reaching normal levels of deterioration related to aging. They engineered a gene oscillator that switches between the two normal paths of aging, slowing cell degeneration and setting a record for life extension.

   
Newswise:Video Embedded elephant-ecosystems-in-decline
VIDEO
24-Apr-2023 9:00 PM EDT
Elephant Ecosystems in Decline
University of California San Diego

Global space for Asian elephant habitats has been in rapid decline since the 1700s, a new report reveals. More than 3 million square kilometers of the Asian elephant’s historic habitat range has been lost in just three centuries and may underlie present-day conflicts between elephants and people.

Released: 25-Apr-2023 5:05 PM EDT
UC San Diego’s Graduate Programs Ranked Among Best in Nation by U.S. News & World Report
University of California San Diego

Graduate programs and professional schools at the University of California San Diego have once again been recognized for their excellence by U.S. News & World Report. The 2023-2024 Best Graduate Schools rankings, released today, named nine of the campus's graduate programs among the top 10 in the nation.

Newswise: Too Much Insulin Can Be as Dangerous as Too Little
Released: 21-Apr-2023 5:35 PM EDT
Too Much Insulin Can Be as Dangerous as Too Little
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego researchers describe a key player in the defense mechanism that safeguards against excessive insulin in the body, which can be as harmful as too little.

Newswise: Victor Shih Appointed as New Director of UC San Diego’s 21st Century China Center
Released: 18-Apr-2023 3:40 PM EDT
Victor Shih Appointed as New Director of UC San Diego’s 21st Century China Center
University of California San Diego

Victor C. Shih has been appointed as the new director of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, effective July 1, 2023. Shih, the Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, is a highly regarded scholar with expertise in a broad range of subjects related to China.

Newswise:Video Embedded tracking-a-new-path-to-octopus-and-squid-sensing-capabilities
VIDEO
Released: 14-Apr-2023 8:05 PM EDT
Tracking a New Path to Octopus and Squid Sensing Capabilities
University of California San Diego

Research led by UC San Diego and Harvard has traced the evolutionary adaptations of octopus and squid sensing capabilities. The researchers describe for the first time the structure of an octopus chemotactile receptor, which octopus arms use for taste-by-touch exploration of the seafloor.

Newswise: How a Virus Causes Chromosomal Breakage, Leading to Cancer
Released: 13-Apr-2023 4:35 PM EDT
How a Virus Causes Chromosomal Breakage, Leading to Cancer
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego Researchers describe for the first time how the Epstein-Barr virus exploits genomic weaknesses to cause cancer while reducing the body’s ability to suppress it.

Newswise: Eye-opening Origin Story: Scientists Trace Key Innovation in Our Camera-like Vision to Bacteria
Released: 13-Apr-2023 3:25 PM EDT
Eye-opening Origin Story: Scientists Trace Key Innovation in Our Camera-like Vision to Bacteria
University of California San Diego

Scientists have traced the origin of a unique protein key to vertebrate’s camera-like vision back 500 million years. Their analysis of more than 900 genomes across the tree of life revealed that the protein came through horizontal gene transfer from foreign bacterial genes.

Newswise: Living through High Inflation Increases Home Ownership
11-Apr-2023 5:05 AM EDT
Living through High Inflation Increases Home Ownership
University of California San Diego

People who experience periods of high inflation are more likely to buy a home, according to a new study from the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management.

Newswise: New Study Flips the Script on Liver Cancer
Released: 12-Apr-2023 11:00 AM EDT
New Study Flips the Script on Liver Cancer
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego scientists find a protein associated with liver cancer may actually be the key to protecting against it. By blocking ferroptosis, a form of liver cell death, the protein prevents liver damage and its progression to cancer.

Newswise: Center for AIDS Research Receives $15 Million Renewal Grant From NIH
Released: 3-Apr-2023 2:00 PM EDT
Center for AIDS Research Receives $15 Million Renewal Grant From NIH
University of California San Diego

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded a five-year, $15.45 million grant to the San Diego Center for AIDS Research at UC San Diego, renewing support that extends back to an original establishing grant in 1994 at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Newswise: Dissecting the Circadian Clock in Real Time
Released: 30-Mar-2023 2:40 PM EDT
Dissecting the Circadian Clock in Real Time
University of California San Diego

Scientists have made progress in understanding the circadian clock, the 24-hour cycle that synchronizes with light-dark exposure, and how it functions. They developed a new way to study how the circadian clock synchronizes in real time, revealing surprises about the clock’s mechanisms.

Released: 27-Mar-2023 11:55 AM EDT
UC San Diego Launches a Stellar Ph.D. Program in Astronomy
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego has announced a new graduate program in astronomy and welcomed its first cohort of students. The program provides students the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge astronomical and astrophysical research with access to national and international observatories and facilities.

   
Newswise: New Braintrust Seeks to Launch Era of North American Regional Competitiveness
Released: 24-Mar-2023 4:45 PM EDT
New Braintrust Seeks to Launch Era of North American Regional Competitiveness
University of California San Diego

Given the U.S.-China trade conflict and concerns over trade disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, regionalizing supply chains is at the center of the discussion in North America. Now, a new working group spearheaded by the University of California San Diego is using this opportunity to propose policy recommendations for the relocation of global production chains in North America where it's economically advantageous.

   
Newswise: Autism Rates Continue to Rise in California
Released: 23-Mar-2023 2:00 PM EDT
Autism Rates Continue to Rise in California
University of California San Diego

Autism rates are on the rise in the United States, and especially in California. UC San Diego researchers link changing rates and demographics to increased early-detection.

Newswise: Why Subvariants of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus Accelerated the Pandemic
Released: 22-Mar-2023 12:15 PM EDT
Why Subvariants of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus Accelerated the Pandemic
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego researchers describe why SARS-CoV-2 subvariants spread more rapidly than the original virus strain, and how an early treatment might have made people more susceptible to future infections.

Newswise:Video Embedded to-ward-off-aging-stem-cells-must-take-out-the-trash
VIDEO
Released: 21-Mar-2023 11:30 AM EDT
To Ward Off Aging, Stem Cells Must Take Out the Trash
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego researchers find stem cells use a surprising system for discarding misfolded proteins. This unique pathway could be the key to maintaining long-term health and preventing age-related blood and immune disorders.



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