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News Archive - Biological Sciences

Growth-promoting, Anti-aging Retinal at the Root of Plant Growth Too

August 26, 2021

Publishing in the journal Science, a research team led by new UC San Diego biologist Alexandra Dickinson has identified a compound that plays a key role in triggering the development of plants’ lateral roots. Retinoids, known for medical uses, were found to be vital in plant growth.

How Adolescents Used Drugs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

August 24, 2021

Among adolescents ages 10 to 14 in the U.S, the overall rate of drug use remained relatively stable in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one change was a decreased use of alcohol, but an increased use of nicotine and misuse of prescription drugs.

UC San Diego Researchers Discover Key Mechanisms behind Synapse Degeneration in Alzheimer’s Brain

August 18, 2021

Neurobiologists have uncovered the mechanisms behind the maintenance and decline of key synapses implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. The findings suggest an alternative approach to addressing such brain disorders.

Reconnecting the People, Plants and Animals of the Kendall-Frost Marsh

August 12, 2021

UC San Diego’s Kendall-Frost Marsh has received an $85,000 grant from Honda to create an integrated research and public engagement program centered on bringing Native American perspectives and cutting-edge science into the management and access decisions needed to ensure the marsh’s survival.

‘Feel Good’ Brain Messenger Can Be Willfully Controlled, New Study Reveals

July 23, 2021

UC San Diego researchers and their colleagues have discovered that spontaneous impulses of dopamine, the neurological messenger known as the brain’s “feel good” chemical, occur in the brain of mice. The study found that mice can willfully manipulate these random dopamine pulses for reward.

UC San Diego among six U.S. institutions in new Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance

July 21, 2021

UC San Diego is one of six universities invited to participate in the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, a scientific collaboration that aims to transform human health on a global scale through the discovery and translation of the biological principles underlying human performance.

Trained Viruses Prove More Effective at Fighting Antibiotic Resistance

June 7, 2021

Research reveals that phage viruses that undergo special evolutionary training increase their capacity to subdue bacteria. The results provide hope for the antibiotic resistance crisis, a rising threat as deadly bacteria continue to evolve to render many modern drugs ineffective.

Synthetic SPECIES Developed for Use as a Confinable Gene Drive

June 2, 2021

Scientists have developed a gene drive with a built-in genetic barrier that is designed to keep the drive under control. The researchers engineered synthetic fly species that, upon release in sufficient numbers, act as gene drives that can spread locally and be reversed if desired.

Researchers Create New CRISPR Tools to Help Contain Mosquito Disease Transmission

May 28, 2021

Scientists have developed a toolkit that helps pave the way to a gene drive designed to stop Culex mosquitoes from spreading disease. Culex mosquitoes spread devastating afflictions stemming from West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and the pathogen causing avian malaria.

Research Uncovers How ‘Non-professional’ Cells Can Trigger Immune Response

May 26, 2021

Researchers are finding new details on the complex dynamics involved in how organisms sense an infection from pathogens. The researchers found that worms can sense changes in their metabolism in order to unleash protective defenses, even if they don’t directly sense an incursion from pathogens.
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