News Archive - Jacobs School of Engineering

Probing Lithium Ions Near a Solid’s Surface Reveals Clues to Boost Solid-State Battery Performance

Using computer simulations and X-ray experiments, researchers could “see” in detail why lithium ions move slowly in a solid-state battery—specifically, at the electrolyte-electrode interface. The work could lead to new strategies to enhance ionic conductivity in solid-state batteries.

Scientists Slow Aging by Engineering Longevity in Cells

Researchers have developed a biosynthetic “clock” that keeps cells from reaching normal levels of deterioration related to aging. They engineered a gene oscillator that switches between the two normal paths of aging, slowing cell degeneration and setting a record for life extension.

Moving Perovskite Solar Cell Advancements From the Lab to the Manufacturing Floor

A team of researchers, led by MIT and including the University of California San Diego, has been selected to receive a $11.25M cost-shared award to establish a new research center that will advance the development of next-generation solar cells for commercial use.

UC San Diego Researchers Help Discover That Tiny DNA Circles are Key Drivers of Cancer

University of California San Diego computer scientists are among the lead authors of an international study that finds tiny circles of DNA that defy the accepted laws of genetics are key drivers of cancer formation.

Commercial-scale Biomanufactured Melatonin is Here

For the first time, large amounts of melatonin are being made by bacteria. Engineered E. coli are feeding on glucose and churning out melatonin, the hormone that controls circadian rhythms. This mode of manufacturing is growing thanks in part to bioengineering advances made at UC San Diego.

The Explorers: A Passion for Science Leads to New Territory

After decades of working in industry and academia, biophysicists Alex Savtchenko and Elena Molokanova still have big dreams.

Fixing the Chicken-and-Egg Conundrum of Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations

The UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering has launched a program that provides funding to enable early-career faculty in engineering and computer science to build interdisciplinary research collaborations. The program is called the Jacobs School Early Career Faculty Development Award.

Tallest Full-scale Building Ever Built on an Earthquake Simulator Put to the Test at UC San Diego

A 10-story building made of cross-laminated timber will be tested on one of the world’s two largest earthquake simulators at the University of California San Diego this spring. Known as the Tallwood project, it is the tallest full-scale building ever to be constructed and tested on a shake table.

Biodegradable Polymer System Offers New Hope for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

A team led by engineers at the University of California San Diego has developed a biodegradable polymer system to treat rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, by working in concert with the power of the human immune system.

UC San Diego Faculty Inducted Into Prestigious Biomedical Institution

Three faculty members at the University of California San Diego were inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Professors Victor Nizet, Karsten Zengler and Sameer Shah are among the 140 new AIMBE Fellows in the class of 2023. In ad