News Archive - Biological Sciences

‘Feel Good’ Brain Messenger Can Be Willfully Controlled, New Study Reveals

UC San Diego researchers and their colleagues have discovered that spontaneous impulses of dopamine, the neurological messenger known as the brain’s “feel good” chemical, occur in the brain of mice. The study found that mice can willfully manipulate these random dopamine pulses for reward.

UC San Diego among six U.S. institutions in new Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance

UC San Diego is one of six universities invited to participate in the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, a scientific collaboration that aims to transform human health on a global scale through the discovery and translation of the biological principles underlying human performance.

Trained Viruses Prove More Effective at Fighting Antibiotic Resistance

Research reveals that phage viruses that undergo special evolutionary training increase their capacity to subdue bacteria. The results provide hope for the antibiotic resistance crisis, a rising threat as deadly bacteria continue to evolve to render many modern drugs ineffective.

Synthetic SPECIES Developed for Use as a Confinable Gene Drive

Scientists have developed a gene drive with a built-in genetic barrier that is designed to keep the drive under control. The researchers engineered synthetic fly species that, upon release in sufficient numbers, act as gene drives that can spread locally and be reversed if desired.

Researchers Create New CRISPR Tools to Help Contain Mosquito Disease Transmission

Scientists have developed a toolkit that helps pave the way to a gene drive designed to stop Culex mosquitoes from spreading disease. Culex mosquitoes spread devastating afflictions stemming from West Nile virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and the pathogen causing avian malaria.

Research Uncovers How ‘Non-professional’ Cells Can Trigger Immune Response

Researchers are finding new details on the complex dynamics involved in how organisms sense an infection from pathogens. The researchers found that worms can sense changes in their metabolism in order to unleash protective defenses, even if they don’t directly sense an incursion from pathogens.

Plant Consumers Play Unexpectedly Large Role in the Evolution of Seedling Success

Scientists have found that herbivores have a lot to say about plant evolution and determining the success of seedlings. The influence of birds, rabbits, mice and other herbivores likely counteracts early plant emergence due to climate change, the researchers found.

New Genetic ‘CopyCatchers’ Detect Efficient and Precise CRISPR Editing in a Living Organism

Scientists have developed a novel CRISPR-based genetic sensor called a “CopyCatcher” to detect instances in which a genetic element is copied precisely from one chromosome to another in cells of a fruit fly.

New View of Species Interactions Offers Clues to Preserve Threatened Ecosystems

Scientists from around the world have produced a new analysis—believed to be the most detailed study of ecological data from global forests—that is furthering science’s understanding of species interactions and how diversity contributes to the preservation of ecosystem health.

Neural Implant Monitors Multiple Brain Areas at Once, Provides New Neuroscience Insights

How do different parts of the brain communicate with each other during learning and memory formation? A study by researchers at UC San Diego takes a first step at answering this fundamental neuroscience question, thanks to a neural implant that monitors multiple brain regions at the same time.