Recent News

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  New Research Reveals How Location Influences How Our Immune System Fights Disease

  Findings could pave the way for improved immunotherapies and vaccines

  A new study led by a team of scientists reveals how cells known as tissue-resident memory CD8 T cells play unique and specialized roles based on where they are located. The discovery sheds light on how such cells adapt to their location and could lead to improved immunotherapy and vaccines.

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  Epilepsy Patient Samples Offer Unprecedented Insights on Brain ‘Brakes’ Linked to Disorders

  Advanced scientific instruments allow scientists to build a map of brain receptors, opening the door to possible novel ways to treat epilepsy and mental disorders

  Specific protein receptors in the brain play a vital role in how neurons slow down or stop firing, making them targets for many disorders. Researchers have now constructed a detailed structural map of these receptors in the human brain, revealing how they assemble and how drugs bind to them.

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  BioSci's Sonya Neal Receives Presidential Early Career Award

  School of Biological Sciences’ Sonya Neal and four other faculty members from UC San Diego have been selected to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government to early career scientists and engineers.

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  Scientists Unveil Surprising Human vs Mouse Differences in a Major Cancer Immunotherapy Target

  Results of a comprehensive analysis refute assumptions that a key immune checkpoint receptor functions the same in rodents and humans

  Much of our knowledge of the protein PD-1, a leading cancer treatment target, comes from studies in mice. In a comprehensive assessment of PD-1, researchers have found that PD-1 in mice is significantly weaker than the human version, providing new information on how cancer treatments are developed.

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  Kimberly Cooper and Elizabeth Villa Named Pew Innovation Fund Investigators

  Biologists to study mysteries related to specialized bone cells during growth

  UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences Professors Kimberly Cooper and Elizabeth Villa have been selected by the Pew Charitable Trusts as members of its 2024 class of Innovation Fund Investigators.

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  New Gene Drive Reverses Insecticide Resistance in Pests… Then Disappears

  The self-eliminating ‘e-Drive’ replaces mutant genes with native genes to reduce pesticide use and protect valuable food crops

  UC San Diego geneticists have developed a gene drive-based solution to the widespread problem of insecticide resistance. In an effort to protect valuable crops, the researchers created an “e-Drive” that reverses insecticide resistance and then disappears from the insect population.

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  Pamela Reinagel Awarded Sensory Sentinel Grant by Turner Scientific

  Turner Scientific has chosen Pamela Reinagel, Ph.D., as the winner of its 2024 Sensory Sentinel grant to promote animal welfare and improved research. Reinagel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of California San Diego.

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  Researchers Uncover Achilles Heel of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

  As drug resistance surges, scientists discover a promising new way to control the spread of this public health crisis

  To stem the surging antibiotic resistance public health crisis, scientists seek solutions inside the mechanics of bacterial infection. A new study has found a vulnerability related to magnesium availability. This limitation potentially could be exploited to stop the spread of antibiotic resistance.

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  Sleep is No Light Matter for Bees

  Artificial light found to disrupt the circadian cycle of vital ecosystem and economic pollinators

  Disrupted sleep cycles are a well known problem for human health and function, and now researchers have found similar impacts on insects. A new study has found that artificial light disrupts the circadian rhythms of honey bees and poses a threat to their essential role as pollinators.

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  The Brains Behind Today’s AI Revolution

  Professor Terry Sejnowski helped pioneer a foundation that set the stage for the current surge of AI advancements. In this interview he discusses the path of brain research that led to today’s AI revolution, how systems such as ChatGPT are evolving and the future of AI.

To read more about the School of Biological Sciences happenings, see the News Archives.