News Archive - All Stories

The Birds and the Bats: Evolving to Fly May Have Had Big Effect on Gut Microbiome

UC San Diego researchers studied nearly 900 vertebrate species and found that bats have unusual gut microbiomes that more closely resemble those of birds than other mammals, raising questions about how evolutionary pressures change the gut microbiome.

Experts Come Together to Save 3-year-old Gorilla’s Eyesight at San Diego Zoo Safari Park

San Diego Zoo Safari Park and UC San Diego Health experts performed cataract surgery to restore a 3-year-old gorilla’s eyesight.

Collaborative Conservation Approach for Endangered Reef Fish Yields Dramatic Results

A new study from researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego has documented a successful recovery effort among Nassau Grouper populations in the Cayman Islands.

Shutdown of Coal-Fired Plants in U.S. Saves Lives and Improves Crop Yields

The decommissioning of coal-fired power plants in the continental United States has reduced nearby pollution and its negative impacts on human health and crop yields, according to a new University of California San Diego study.

Now Showing: Medicinal Chemistry in 3D

UC San Diego’s Seth Cohen and his research team, including colleagues at Germany’s Ruhr University Bochum led by Nils Metzler-Nolte, used a new type of metal-based molecular building block to serve as the basis for developing new therapeutic drugs. Their work is published in Chemical Science.

Objective Subtle Cognitive Difficulties Predict Amyloid Accumulation and Neurodegeneration

Researchers report that accumulating amyloid protein occurred faster among persons deemed to have "objectively-defined subtle cognitive difficulties" (Obj-SCD) than among persons considered to be "cognitively normal," offering a potential new early biomarker for Alzheimer's disease.

Measuring Mutations in Sperm May Reveal Risk for Autism in Future Children

Spontaneous mutations in male sperm are linked to development of autism spectrum disorder. Researchers have created a way to measure mutations and estimate risk of ASD in future children. If developed into a clinical test, the method could be a useful predictive tool in genetic counseling.

Injection of Virus-Delivered Gene Silencer Blocks ALS Degeneration, Saves Motor Function

Novel spinal therapy/delivery approach prevented disease onset in neurodegenerative ALS disease model in adult mice and blocked progression in animals already showing disease symptoms.

News Obituary: Y.C. Bert Fung

Yuan-Cheng “Bert” Fung, known as “the father of biomechanics” and one of the founders of the discipline of bioengineering at the University of California San Diego, passed away Dec. 15, 2019 of natural causes. He was 100.

How Many Parasites Can a Bird Carry?

Scripps Oceanography researchers applied an established ecological principle to parasite-host relationships to find that each host’s parasite load stays within a certain range based not simply on the host’s size but on how much energy it can provide the parasites for sustenance.