News Archive - Mario Aguilera

Artificial Intelligence Catalyzes Gene Activation Research and Uncovers Rare DNA Sequences

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.

Sonya Neal Named Inaugural HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar

Assistant Professor Sonya Neal has been named by HHMI as an inaugural Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. She joins an initial cohort of outstanding early career faculty in science who have potential to become leaders in their research fields and to create diverse and inclusive lab environments.

Inspiring Minds

Biological sciences professor Nick Spitzer reflects on 50 years of teaching, and an innovation award is launched in his name to support original scientific research by undergraduate students.

Scientists Slow Aging by Engineering Longevity in Cells

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.

Elephant Ecosystems in Decline

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.

Tracking a New Path to Octopus and Squid Sensing Capabilities

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.

Eye-opening Origin Story: Scientists Trace Key Innovation in Our Camera-like Vision to Bacteria

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.

Dissecting the Circadian Clock in Real Time

Researchers have advanced our understanding of the circadian clock, the biological cycle that synchronizes with light-dark exposure. They recently developed a method to study how the circadian clock synchronizes with the environment in real time, revealing surprises about the clock’s mechanisms.

Like Language, Genomes Are Encoded by Grammar Rules

A study led by Assistant Professor Emma Farley and two graduate students has found that developing genomes not only follow a precise pattern of expression, but the process is governed by rules that are similar to the ways in which grammar systematically structures our languages.

Complex Learned Social Behavior Discovered in Bee’s ‘Waggle Dance’

Researchers have discovered early social learning in insects. They found signaling communicated by honey bees about food sources—transmitted through a “waggle dance”—is an intricate form of social learning and one of the most complex known examples of non-human spatial referential communication.