US and Czech scientists collaborate to explore gamma-ray production with high power lasers
July 1, 2022
A new collaborative project involving UC San Diego aims to leverage the capabilities of multi-petawatt lasers to demonstrate efficient generation of dense gamma-ray beams. Full Story
Students earn top marks in Mars rover competition
June 22, 2022
The UC San Diego Yonder Dynamics student team made a triumphant return to the first in-person University Rover Challenge since 2019, claiming 1st place in the science portion of the Mars rover robotics competition, and 8th place overall out of 26 teams from around the world. Full Story
New phylogenetic tool can handle the SARS-CoV-2 data load
June 22, 2022
Researchers at UC San Diego, in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz, have developed a new software tool for tracing and mapping the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that is capable of handling the unprecedented amount of genetic data being generated by the quickly evolving pathogen. The software is used to efficiently and accurately track new variants of this virus on what’s known as a phylogenetic tree: a visual history or map of an organism’s genetic changes and variations over time and geography. Full Story
UC San Diego researchers part of $25M project to build artificial coral reefs for coastal protection
June 21, 2022
A team of researchers involving UC San Diego has received a $25 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to build artificial coral reefs to protect coastal areas in Hawai’i against flooding, erosion and storm damage. Full Story
Plant virus plus immune cell-activating antibody clear colon cancer in mice, prevent recurrence
June 21, 2022
A new combination therapy to combat cancer could one day consist of a plant virus and an antibody that activates the immune system’s “natural killer” cells, shows a study by researchers at the University of California San Diego. In mouse models of colon cancer, the combination therapy eliminated all tumors and prevented their recurrence, which in turn resulted in 100% survival. The therapy also increased survival in mouse models of melanoma. Full Story
UC San Diego Computer Scientist Plays Major Role in $25M Cancer Grand Challenges Project
June 16, 2022
University of California San Diego computer scientist Vineet Bafna is part of a team of world-class researchers that has been awarded a five-year, $25 million Cancer Grand Challenges grant to learn how the destructive genetic lesion extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) influences numerous cancers and to identify possible therapies. Full Story