Astronomy & Astrophysics, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Physics, and Mathematics
E. coli grow as fast as the environment allows, and it was assumed all bacteria behaved similarly. Now UC San Diego researchers have discovered that B. subtilis, a bacterium commonly found in soil, employs a different survival strategy that prioritizes survival over speed.
UC San Diego computer science and mathematics professor Daniel M. Kane has been awarded the 2026 Gödel Prize, one of the highest honors in theoretical computer science.
Early biological systems that could generate guanosine‑triphosphate (GTP) from prebiotic chemicals would gain a crucial advantage toward self‑replication. Now researchers from the UC San Diego report a version of an RNA enzyme (ribozyme) that makes GTP synthesis more efficient than its predecessor.
UC San Diego’s astronomy department will graduate its first cohort of undergraduates this year. When it was launched in 2023, the department wanted to capitalize on the rich history of space research and teaching at the university while also rethinking the needs of modern-day students.
Drug delivery and diagnostic imaging often lack specificity, but a new “TRACE” method lets specially‑caged compounds stay inert until a target cell’s enzymes quickly remove the cage, potentially allowing for more precise drug delivery and sharper diagnostic imaging.
In addition to UC San Diego’s well-known ties to space — producing astronauts such as Jessica Meir and Kate Rubins, offering K-12 offerings from Sally Ride Science, and sending health research to space, to name but a few — researchers are conducting space-related research in unexpected ways.
Smithsonian Magazine, July 15
The Wall Street Journal, April 23
CBS News, February 24
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