Alumni News

Behind the Scenes with National Geographic Explorer Albert Lin

December 21, 2023

Mika Elizabeth Ono of UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute (QI) caught up with National Geographic Explorer Albert Lin, a QI associate research scientist and Jacobs School Ph.D. alumnus. on the occasion of his new show, “Lost Cities Revealed.” Episodes of the six-part series are premiering on National Geographic, Hulu and Disney+ channels this fall before airing worldwide. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)   Full Story

New Insights on Pelvic Floor Damage after Vaginal Birth, and New Directions for Treatment

August 2, 2023

UC San Diego bioengineers are leading a team reporting new insights in Science Translational Medicine on pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunction and new directions for treatment and prevention.  Full Story

UC San Diego Startup Wins $2.4 Million Defense Department Contract to Improve Battery Performance

May 23, 2023

Ateios Systems, a battery materials innovation company started by two UC San Diego alumni, announced recently that it has been awarded $2.4 million by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to help improve battery material performance and production. This effort will support a variety of critical military applications. Full Story

Commercial-scale Biomanufactured Melatonin is Here

April 11, 2023

For the first time, large amounts of melatonin are being made by bacteria. Engineered E. coli are feeding on glucose and churning out melatonin, the hormone that controls circadian rhythms. This mode of manufacturing is growing thanks in part to bioengineering advances made at UC San Diego. Full Story

Team of UC San Diego Entrepreneurs Pushes Biomedicine Forward with Virtual Reality

March 27, 2023

If you were looking for a poster child for the strength of UC San Diego’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the company Nanome would be a strong contender. Founded by Steven McCloskey ’15, Keita Funakawa ’16, Edgardo Leija ’14 and Samuel Hessenauer ’16 in 2016, Nanome offers software that brings molecular interactions to vivid, three-dimensional life in virtual, augmented and mixed reality. The interface has proven successful in accelerating drug discovery and has attracted clients that include over half of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical firms. Nanome’s educational software has been downloaded by more than 250 universities. Full Story

Alumni-led startup makes 3D printers for rugged environments

January 25, 2023

For Eric Shnell, his innovation journey began right here at UC San Diego in 2018 when he founded his startup Craitor, which develops highly capable, resilient and intuitive 3D printers for those who work far outside the sterile controls of a lab or shop.  Full Story