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Popular Geneticist to Chronicle the Rise of a ‘Brave Genius’ at Scripps Lecture

Widely acclaimed biologist and popular book author Sean B. Carroll, a professor of molecular biology at the University of Wisconsin, will describe the adventures of Jacques Monod, a co-founder of molecular biology, from the dark years of German occupation in Paris to the heights of winning the Nobel Prize, during the Richard H. and Glenda G. Rosenblatt Lectureship in Evolutionary Biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.

New Wind-Farm Computer Simulations Unlock Increased Power Generation

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) have developed high-resolution computer simulations, done on the Trestles supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California, San Diego, that take into account how the air flows within and around a wind-farm in unprecedented detail.

Fat Isn’t All Bad: Skin Adipocytes Help Protect Against Infections

When it comes to skin infections, a healthy and robust immune response may depend greatly upon what lies beneath. In a new paper published in the January 2, 2015 issue of Science, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report the surprising discovery that fat cells below the skin help protect us from bacteria.

Sugar Molecule Links Red Meat Consumption and Elevated Cancer Risk in Mice

While people who eat a lot of red meat are known to be at higher risk for certain cancers, other carnivores are not, prompting researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine to investigate the possible tumor-forming role of a sugar called Neu5Gc, which is naturally found in most mammals but not in humans.

Study Sheds Light on What Causes Cells to Divide

When a rapidly-growing cell divides into two smaller cells, what triggers the split? Is it the size the growing cell eventually reaches? Or is the real trigger the time period over which the cell keeps growing ever larger? A novel study published online today in the journal Current Biology has finally provided an answer to this long unsolved conundrum. And it’s not what many biologists expected.

Recent Graduates Build Puzzle-Solving Robot to Engage Students in STEM Fields

Their robot won’t break the world record for solving Rubik’s Cube, but Daryl Stimm and William Mutterspaugh have an even more ambitious goal: using it to get thousands of girls and boys interested in science and technology.