Science & Environment

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The Latest

Visualizing a Key Step in How an NRPS Enzyme Produces an Antibiotic

Nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) enzymes are essential in creating important medications, such as penicillin and cyclosporine. Because of their large size, complex design and changing shapes, NRPS enzymes are difficult to study. In recent years, the lab of UC San Diego Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Michael Burkart has developed crosslinking tools to trap the enzyme at specific steps, freezing them in place, making them easier to visualize.

Scientists Unveil Surprising Human vs Mouse Differences in a Major Cancer Immunotherapy Target

Much of our knowledge of the protein PD-1, a leading cancer treatment target, comes from studies in mice. In a comprehensive assessment of PD-1, researchers have found that PD-1 in mice is significantly weaker than the human version, providing new information on how cancer treatments are developed.

Enzyme Promoting Tumor Growth and Spread in Pancreatic Cancer Identified

An enzyme called MICAL2 promotes tumor growth and metastasis in the most common form of pancreatic cancer, according to a new study by UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers.

UC San Diego Undergraduate Research Students Use Data Science to Address Housing and Food Insecurity

At the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI), part of the School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences (SCIDS) at UC San Diego, students in the Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program aim to address critical local challenges through data-driven research.

Volunteers serving hot meals to individuals at a community event.

New Software Unlocks Secrets of Cell Signaling

SMART, a new software package developed by researchers at UC San Diego, can make studying signaling processes significantly easier. Results could accelerate research in fields across the life sciences, such as systems biology, pharmacology and biomedical engineering.

Evolution of Deep-Sea Anglerfish Illuminated in New Study

A multi-institutional team of biologists has produced new insights into the evolution of anglerfish, deep-sea dwellers known for their extraordinary adaptations.