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News Archive - Biological Sciences

Help UC San Diego Scientists Study Link between Body Bacteria and Autoimmune Diseases

August 23, 2017

The public's help is being enlisted in the Microbiome Immunity Project, what's thought to be the biggest study to date of the human microbiome — the communities of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on the human body, where they influence our health.

Prestigious Rankings Name UC San Diego 15th Best University in the World

August 15, 2017

The University of California San Diego has been ranked the 15th best university in the world by the 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). UC San Diego was also named the world’s third best public college. The campus was named the world’s fourth best public college and nationally, UC San Diego was recognized as the country’s 13th best university.

2017 Massry Prize Honors Microbiome Research Pioneers

August 9, 2017

Microbiome researchers Rob Knight, PhD, University of California San Diego, Jeffrey Gordon, MD, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Norman Pace, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, will share this year’s Massry Prize, splitting the $200,000 honorarium. These researchers lead a field that works to produce a detailed understanding of microbiomes and methods for manipulating them for the benefit of human and environmental health.

A New View for Protein Turnover in the Brain

August 7, 2017

Scientists at UC San Diego have provided the first evidence that lysosomes, specialized structures found in nearly every cell in your body, can travel to distant parts of neurons to branch-like areas known as dendrites. Lysosomes help keep balance in the brain by removing material that is no longer needed, a key function that could be associated with disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

UC San Diego Welcomes Kyoto University in Reception Honoring San Diego Liaison Office Opening

August 7, 2017

Kyoto University of Japan, one of the University of California San Diego’s international partners, announced the opening of a liaison office in San Diego in late March. UC San Diego played a key role in establishing the office designed to ease in partnering and collaboration.

New 3D Imaging Reveals How Human Cell Nucleus Organizes DNA and Chromatin of its Genome

July 27, 2017

A team of researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies describe development and application of new electron microscopic imaging tools and a selective stain for DNA to visualize the three-dimensional structure of chromatin — a complex of molecules that helps pack six feet of DNA into each cell nucleus, construct chromosomes and control gene expression and DNA replication.

Thousands of Genes Exchanged within Microbial Communities Living on Cheese

July 25, 2017

Using cheese as a novel way to study microscopic communities, researchers have found that bacteria living on artisanal cheese varieties have transferred thousands of genes between each other. Microbiome communities are known to play a key function in many areas, including human health, protecting us from some diseases and amplifying others.

UC San Diego Researchers Join $14.9 Million Fight Against Disease-transmitting Mosquitoes

July 19, 2017

DARPA has selected a team that includes UC San Diego scientists to study an innovative genetic research technique as a way to control disease-causing mosquitoes. The project, which will receive up to $14.9 million, will focus on a technique known as gene drive, which can spread desirable genes in wild populations and suppress harmful organisms.

New Study of Brain Circuits Finds Key Links to Symptoms of Depression

July 17, 2017

Scientists have linked specific wiring in the brain to distinct behavioral symptoms of depression. In a study published in Cell, researchers at UC San Diego found brain circuits tied to feelings of despair and helplessness and were able to alleviate and even reverse such symptoms in mice studies.

Novel Molecular Dynamics Captures Atomic-level Detail of CRISPR-Cas9 Activity

June 28, 2017

Using a novel molecular dynamics method capable of capturing the motion of gyrating proteins at time intervals up to one thousand times greater than previous efforts, a team led by UC San Diego researchers has identified, for the first time, the myriad structural changes that activate and drive CRISPR-Cas9, the innovative gene-splicing technology that’s transforming the field of genetic engineering. SDSC’s ‘Comet’ supercomputer was used to helps break the “millisecond barrier” for complex biological simulations.
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