News Archive - Ioana Patringenaru

Detecting Pathogens—and Sepsis—Faster and More Accurately by Melting DNA

A new analysis method can detect pathogens in blood samples faster and more accurately than blood cultures, which are the current state of the art for infection diagnosis. The new method, called digital DNA melting analysis, can produce results in under six hours.

These Tiny Power Converters Run on Vibrational Energy

Scientists at the University of California San Diego and CEA-Leti have developed a ground-breaking piezoelectric-based DC-DC converter that unifies all power switches onto a single chip to increase power density.

Type 2 Diabetes Alters the Behavior of Discs in the Vertebral Column

Type 2 diabetes alters the behavior of discs in the vertebral column, making them stiffer, and also causes the discs to change shape earlier than normal. As a result, the disc’s ability to withstand pressure is compromised.

UC San Diego is Part of DOE Grant to Establish Inertial Fusion Energy Hub

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a four-year, $16 million grant to a multi-institutional team including the University of California San Diego to establish a national Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) Science & Technology Accelerated Research for Fusion Innovation & Reactor Engineering Hub.

Renowned UC San Diego Microbiome Pioneer Rob Knight Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

Rob Knight, a University of California San Diego professor and international leader in the study of the roles microbes play in human health and disease and the functioning of ecosystems, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Researchers Uncover Surprising Link Between Body Temperature and Depression

People with depression have higher body temperatures, a finding that supports nascent research suggesting a mental health benefit to lowering the temperatures of those with the disorder, a new research team that includes scientists at the University of California San Diego found.

How to Run a Password Update Campaign Efficiently and With Minimal IT Costs

Email notifications to update passwords potentially yielded diminishing returns after three messages. They also found that a prompt to update passwords while users were trying to log in was effective for those who had ignored email reminders.

Bringing Together Real-world Sensors and VR to Improve Building Maintenance

A new system that brings together real-world sensing and virtual reality would make it easier for building maintenance personnel to identify and fix issues in commercial buildings that are in operation.

Transforming Clinical Recording of Deep Brain Activity with a New Take on Sensor Manufacturing

Sensors built with a new manufacturing approach are capable of recording activity deep within the brain from large populations of individual neurons–with a resolution of as few as one or two neurons–in humans as well as a range of animal models.

In This Era of AI, Will Everyone Be a Programmer?

ChatGPT and Large Language Models are viewed by many as a threat to the field of computer science education because they’re able to produce code on command. But the retooled, foundational course, “Introduction to Programming and Computational Problem Solving 1” relies on LLMs.