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News Archive - Biological Sciences

Cells Can Use Dynamic Patterns to Pluck Signals From Noise

December 11, 2014

Scientists have discovered a general principle for how cells could accurately transmit chemical signals despite high levels of noise in the system, they report in Science this week.

The Dirty Side of Soap

November 17, 2014

Triclosan is an antimicrobial commonly found in soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and many other household items. Despite its widespread use, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report potentially serious consequences of long-term exposure to the chemical.

Moderate Levels of ‘Free Radicals’ Found Beneficial to Healing Wounds

October 13, 2014

Long assumed to be destructive to tissues and cells, “free radicals” generated by the cell’s mitochondria—the energy producing structures in the cell—are actually beneficial to healing wounds. That’s the conclusion of biologists at UC San Diego who discovered that “reactive oxygen species”—chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen, such as peroxides, commonly referred to as free radicals—are necessary for the proper healing of skin wounds in the laboratory roundworm C. elegans.

New Genetic ‘Operating System’ Facilitated Evolution of ‘Bilateral’ Animals

September 30, 2014

The evolution of worms, insects, vertebrates and other “bilateral” animals—those with distinct left and right sides—from less complex creatures like jellyfish and sea anemones with “radial” symmetry may have been facilitated by the emergence of a completely new "operating system" for controlling genetic instructions in the cell.

Four UC San Diego Teams Win NIH Grants from Obama’s BRAIN Initiative

September 30, 2014

Four teams of scientists at UC San Diego will receive research grants from the National Institutes of Health that will help lay the groundwork for visualizing the circuits of the brain and how they work, the agency announced at a White House ceremony today.

Scientists Discover “Dimmer Switch” For Mood Disorders

September 18, 2014

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a control mechanism for an area of the brain that processes sensory and emotive information that humans experience as “disappointment.”

Four UC San Diego Faculty Win ‘Early Concept’ Grants from Obama’s BRAIN Initiative

August 18, 2014

Four scientists at UC San Diego are among 36 recipients nationwide who have been awarded early concept grants for brain research from the National Science Foundation, the agency announced today.

Birthday Matters for Wiring-Up the Brain’s Vision Centers

July 31, 2014

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have evidence suggesting that neurons in the developing brains of mice are guided by a simple but elegant birth order rule that allows them to find and form their proper connections.

Study Suggests Disruptive Effects of Anesthesia on Brain Cell Connections Are Temporary

July 28, 2014

A study of juvenile rat brain cells suggests that the effects of a commonly used anesthetic drug on the connections between brain cells are temporary.

David Victor Delivers Testimony to Nuclear Regulatory Commission on San Onofre Decommission

July 22, 2014

David Victor, UC San Diego School of International Relations and Pacific Studies professor and director of the Laboratory on International Law and Regulation, gave his first testimony to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Tuesday, July 15 as part of his role to help keep the public informed about the decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant.
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