August 12, 2019
UC San Diego engineers have developed the thinnest optical device in the world: a waveguide that is three layers of atoms thin. The work is a proof of concept for scaling down optical devices to sizes that are orders of magnitude smaller than today’s devices.
December 18, 2019
Scripps Oceanography researchers applied an established ecological principle to parasite-host relationships to find that each host’s parasite load stays within a certain range based not simply on the host’s size but on how much energy it can provide the parasites for sustenance.
April 15, 2020
Measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus have reduced the demand for fuel and slashed oil prices. Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the chief long-term cause of climate warming, have slid perhaps by one-fifth, but can we expect COVID-19 to create lasting change for the planet?
November 12, 2020
A new process for restoring spent cathodes to mint condition could make it more economical to recycle lithium-ion batteries. The process consumes 80 to 90% less energy than today’s methods, emits about 75% less greenhouse gases, and uses environmentally benign, inexpensive ingredients.
November 30, 2020
Nanoengineers at UC San Diego have developed new and improved probes, known as positive controls, that could make it easier to validate rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests for COVID-19 across the globe. The advance could help expand testing to low-resource, underserved areas.
December 16, 2020
Findings published December 16 in Science Advances provide the climate science community with the groundwork to include Antarctic icebergs in global climate models.
March 2, 2021
Rapid COVID-19 tests are on the rise to deliver results faster to more people, and scientists need an easy, foolproof way to know that these tests work correctly and the results can be trusted. Nanoparticles that pass detection as the novel coronavirus could be just the ticket.
May 27, 2021
An infrared imager developed by UC San Diego engineers could be used to see through smog and fog; easily locate blood vessels on a patient; and see through silicon wafers to inspect the quality of electronic boards. It is also slim, compact and less costly to fabricate than similar technologies.
June 8, 2021
A new 3D bioprinter developed by UC San Diego nanoengineers operates at record speed—it can print a 96-well array of living human tissue samples within 30 minutes. The technology could help accelerate high-throughput preclinical drug screening and make it less costly.
October 4, 2021
A new study led by researchers across the University of California system in the United States and researchers in Mexico focuses on an ancient mangrove forest that is thriving in the Yucatan Peninsula—more than 124 miles from the coast.
