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News Archive - Liezel Labios

Assessing ‘Stickiness’ of Tumor Cells Could Improve Cancer Prognosis

February 3, 2020

Researchers led by UC San Diego built a device that sorts and separates cancer cells from the same tumor based on how “sticky” they are. They found that less sticky cells migrate and invade other tissues more than their stickier counterparts, and have genes that make tumor recurrence more likely.

Microsized Bacterial Bait Could Provide New Treatment for Infections

January 31, 2020

Micromotors that swim to infected sites in the body to lure, trap and destroy bacteria could offer a more efficient form of treatment against pathogens. UC San Diego nanoengineers have developed a “microtrap” that zips around in acid and serves as toxic bait for E. coli bacteria.

Growing Strained Crystals Could Improve Performance of Perovskite Electronics

January 9, 2020

A new method could enable researchers to build more efficient, longer lasting perovskite solar cells and LEDs. By growing thin perovskite films on different substrates, UC San Diego engineers invented a way of fabricating perovskite single crystals with precisely deformed, or strained, structures.

Machine Learning Provides New Paradigm in Understanding Microbial Gene Regulation

December 4, 2019

UC San Diego bioengineers developed a method that would enable them to understand how E. coli coordinate their expression of thousands of genes. The method uses a machine learning algorithm to automatically interpret gene expression datasets.

New Chip for Waking Up Small Wireless Devices Could Extend Battery Life

November 12, 2019

A new power saving chip could significantly reduce or eliminate the need to replace batteries in Internet of Things (IoT) devices and wearables. The so-called wake-up receiver wakes up a device only when it needs to communicate and perform its function, saving on power use.

Measuring Cell-Cell Forces Using Snapshots from Time-Lapse Videos of Cells

November 5, 2019

A new computational method can measure the forces cells exert on each other by analyzing time-lapse videos of cell colonies. It could enable researchers to gain fundamental insights into what role intercellular forces play in cellular biology and how they differ in healthy and diseased states.

Micromotors Push Around Single Cells and Particles

October 25, 2019

A new type of micromotor—powered by ultrasound and steered by magnets—can move around individual cells and microscopic particles in crowded environments without damaging them. It can also be controlled to move over 3D obstacles. The work could open up new possibilities for nanomedicine.

Study Provides Framework for 1 Billion Years of Green Plant Evolution

October 23, 2019

An international consortium of nearly 200 plant scientists, including engineers at UC San Diego, has released gene sequences for more than 1100 plant species, the culmination of a nine-year research project. The advance was made possible in large part thanks to new computational tools.

Piranha-Proof Fish Scales Offer Inspiration for Better Armor

October 16, 2019

Material scientists have discovered what makes the scales of the massive Amazonian freshwater fish, Arapaima gigas, resistant to breaking when a piranha bites. The answer could serve as inspiration for stronger, lightweight and flexible synthetic armors.

Drug-Light Combo Could Offer Control Over CAR T-Cell Therapy

October 15, 2019

UC San Diego bioengineers are a step closer to making CAR T-cell therapy safer, more precise and easy to control. They developed a system that allows them to select where and when CAR T cells get turned on so that they destroy cancer cells without harming normal cells.
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