News Archive - Biological Sciences

A Matter of (Pitch) Perception

A study of San Diego-area kindergarten students reveals that singing to pitch has no relation to academic achievement.

The Long Road to the Sandbox: An Unlikely Journey to a World-Class Technology Hub

UC San Diego will open the Goeddel Family Technology Sandbox on Aug. 29 as a unique world-class resource for science, education and training. Meet Uri Manor, the faculty director of the new facility, who comes to UC San Diego with a background filled with extraordinary challenges and successes.

Precision Oncology via Artificial Intelligence on Cancer Biopsies

An artificial intelligence method to detect biomarkers in tumor biopsies promises to cut weeks and thousands of dollars from cancer detection, extending the benefits of precision oncology to underserved and under-resourced patients.

Unraveling a Key Junction Underlying Muscle Contraction

Using powerful new visualization technologies, researchers have captured the first 3-D images of the structure of a key muscle receptor, providing new insights on how muscles develop across the animal kingdom and setting the stage for possible future treatments for muscular disorders.

Researchers Identify Brain Circuits Tied to the Behavior of Schooling Fish

UC San Diego researchers have uncovered the roots of group behavior in the brains of schooling fish. Glassfish, they found, depend on their sense of vision to coordinate social swimming behavior in schools and increase their ability to follow coordinated group movements as they mature.

Not So Selfish After All: Viruses Use Freeloading Genes as Weapons

Certain pieces of DNA have been labeled as “selfish genetic elements” due to notions that they don’t contribute to a host organism’s survival. Instead, researchers have now discovered that these elements have been weaponized and play a crucial role by cutting off a competitor’s ability to reproduce.

Fighting COVID-19 With a Cancer Drug

Researchers at University of California San Diego show that a molecule which shuttles damaging inflammatory cells into cancer tumors also shuttles inflammatory cells into lung tissue infected with COVID-19 — and that the molecule can be suppressed with a repurposed cancer drug. The work represents a new approach to preventing irreversible organ damage in infectious diseases.

As Restrictions on Cannabis and Psychedelics Ease, Americans Dabble with ‘Microdosing’

Loosening local, state and federal regulations on cannabis and psychedelics has increased Americans' interest in microdosing, according to a study from researchers at the University of California San Diego. Published in JAMA Health Forum, the study found that the rate of microdosing-related Google searches grew by 1250% from 2015 to 2023, with over three million searches in 2023 alone.

30 Years of Critical Funding for Junior Faculty

Over three decades, the Hellman family has given over $18 million to support more than 400 UC San Diego junior faculty in their research and progress toward tenure.

Is Coffee Good for You or Bad for You?

The effects of coffee consumption on human health is a knotty question, but one thing is sure: coffee is a psychoactive substance.