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News Archive - Biological Sciences

Researchers Use AI to Decode Key DNA Sequence in Gene Activation

Scientists have revealed the DNA identity of the “initiator,” a crucial sequence that kickstarts gene activation. AI analysis of a half million data points deciphered the initiator’s identity. Researchers can use the new information to scan for mutations that may lead to diseases such as cancer.

Rewriting the Rules of Immunity

A UC San Diego alumnus and his Nobel Prize-winning rule in a game-changing discovery.

As New World Screwworm Returns to the U.S., UC San Diego and San Diego County Team Up to Track Risks

A new dashboard tracks New World screwworm risk levels county by county.

Flesh-eating Screwworms Have Returned. Which New Technologies Could Stop Them?

New World screwworm flies, highly destructive parasitic insects, have returned to parts of the U.S. and pose a significant danger. Professor Omar Akbari discusses how the insect was eliminated in the past and the ways new genetics technologies could help combat today’s threat.

Scientists Uncover Cellular Mechanism Driving Both Rare Childhood Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

UC San Diego researchers have found a "genetic switch" triggering neurodegeneration in both a rare childhood dementia and Alzheimer's disease, pointing to new drug targets in the waste-processing system within the brain’s immune cells.

Nobel Laureate and UC San Diego Alumnus Susumu Tonegawa (1939-2026)

Susumu Tonegawa, who made key contributions to immunology and neurobiology and became UC San Diego’s first alumnus to receive a Nobel Prize, passed away on July 11. His research resolved a long-standing puzzle about how the immune system generates millions of antibodies from a small set of genes.

Jeremy’s Story: Research at UC San Diego Offers Hope for Rare Disease

Uri Manor, inaugural faculty director of the Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox, is using advanced instruments to study Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a debilitating genetic neurological disorder. Such advancements are offering hope for six-year-old Jeremy and others who suffer from the disease.

Personalized Gene Therapy Helps Teen with Rare Form of Severe Epilepsy Walk Independently

UC San Diego researchers and their colleagues designed short strands of DNA to target protein production by disease-causing mutations, dramatically reducing seizures and sparking developmental gains, helping one teenager walk independently.

UC San Diego Partners with Innovative Genomics Institute on the Next Generation of Genome Editing

The new partnership is designed to jointly develop cutting-edge genomic tools for addressing large-scale challenges in health and the environment. The partnership combines research strengths in environmental and marine science, engineering and computer science and biomedical and life sciences.

Eject! Bacteria Discovered with the Ability to Jettison Cells as a Survival Mechanism

Researchers have observed a cell ejection phenomenon in communities of bacteria (biofilms), similar to how jellyfish eject stingers. Biofilms eject cells to ensure the community survives in new colonies. They leveraged the discovery as a possible new way to eliminate antibiotic-tolerant bacteria.

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