News Archive - Biological Sciences

First Case of Community Acquired Omicron Variant in San Diego

Few places in the country are better equipped to detect new virus variants than San Diego, where researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Scripps Research, working with county public health officials, health systems and others, collaborate to create a sort of viral early warning system.

A New Strategy to Transform Liver Cancer Immunotherapy

UC San Diego researchers identify new strategy to improve efficacy of immunotherapy on resistant liver cancers.

Neurobiologists Reveal How Value Decisions are Coded into Our Brains

A new study is showing how value choices are recorded in our brains. Researchers found that persistency allows value signals to be most effectively represented, or “coded,” across different areas of the brain, especially in a critical area within the cerebrum known as the retrosplenial cortex.

New Research Helps Explain the Genetic Basis of Why We Look the Way We Do

Comparing features of a common laboratory fruit fly with its rarer cousin collected from Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, UC San Diego researchers used CRISPR technology to uncover clues about how high-level control genes called Hox genes shape our appearance.

Size Matters for Bee ‘Superorganism’ Colonies

Researchers studying honey bees have found that colony size matters in determining how members make decisions in the face of dynamic survival conditions. Large, established colonies are less likely to take chances while smaller colonies are much more willing to take risks.

A Target for Potential Cancer Drugs May, In Fact, Worsen Disease

Researchers reveal a previously unrealized complexity in cancer development, one that raises concerns and caution about targeting an enzyme popular in oncological treatments.

Researchers Develop CRISPR-based Rapid Diagnostic Tool for SARS-CoV-2

UC San Diego scientists have created a new technology that rapidly detects the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The new SENSR was developed using CRISPR gene-editing technology as a rapid diagnostic that eventually could be used in homes, airports and other locations.

UC San Diego Faculty Receive Trifecta of National Awards

Three UC San Diego faculty--Terry Hwa, Benjamin Grinstein and Suckjoon Jun--have been recognized by national physics associations for their achievements.

Cat Bacteria Treats Mouse Skin Infection, May Help You and Your Pets As Well

Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine identify a strain of bacteria on healthy cats that produces antibiotics against severe skin infections. The findings may soon lead to new bacteriotherapies for humans and their pets, wherein cat bacteria is applied via topical cream or spray.

Matthew Lovett-Barron Named 2021 Packard Fellow

UC San Diego Assistant Professor Matthew Lovett-Barron, who researches the neural mechanisms of internal brain states and collective decision making in schooling fish, has been selected for the 2021 Packard Fellowship Program and the Searle Scholars Program.