A team from the UC San Diego Department of Cognitive Science and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has, for the first time, profiled chemical modifications in the DNA of individual neurons, giving the most detailed information yet on what makes one brain cell different from its neighbor. The novel approach enabled the team to sort neurons into subtypes and create new kinds of brain maps. The study also identifies new subtypes of neurons.
Until recently, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing could only be used to manipulate DNA. In 2016, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers repurposed the technique to track RNA in live cells in a method called RNA-targeting Cas9. In a study published August 10 in Cell, the team took RCas9 a step further: they corrected molecular mistakes that lead to microsatellite repeat expansion diseases, which include a type of ALS and Huntington's disease.
The Rady Venture Fund at the Rady School of Management University of California San Diego, announced their recent investment in Cloudbeds, their first investment in a company co-founded by a Rady MBA.
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.
UC San Diego Health and its medical and surgical specialties have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2017-18. The annual “Best Hospitals” rankings distinguish hospitals that excel in treating the most challenging health conditions.
UC San Diego Health has moved its electronic medical records (EMR) system to the cloud. The move to an Epic-hosted cloud environment is part of a long-term strategy to shift away from traditional data centers to a less expensive, more reliable and secure repository for patients’ medical records.