News | College of Biological Sciences

Nature Reviews "How to Build a Dragon or Die Trying"

Professor Paul Knoepfler, UC Davis Genome Center, studies the epigenetic and transcriptional control mechanisms that direct stem cell fate and tissue growth. He's also a writer, recently co-authoring the book How to Build a Dragon or Die Trying: A Satirical Look at Cutting-Edge Science with his daughter Julie Knoepfler. Helen Pilcher recently reviewed the book in Nature.

Campus and Community

Discovering Curiosity: Brain Puzzles with UC Davis Center for Neuroscience Director Kimberley McAllister

UC Davis Center for Neuroscience Director Kimberley McAllister studies the puzzle of the developing brain. Part of her research focuses on why viral infection during pregnancy can increase the likelihood of a child developing autism and schizophrenia.

Human and Animal Health

Changing the Culture around Mental Health for Ph.D. Students

Plant Biology Graduate Group student Leonardo Jo thought his anxiety was normal, an expected part of the graduate school experience. His peers grappled with similar issues: imposter syndrome, researcher pressures and financial insecurity, to name a few. And they all seemed to suffer in silence at the cost of their own mental health.

Campus and Community

Giraffe, Gemsbok Genome Assemblies Add to Map of Life

The genomes of wild animals can help us understand how they have adapted to unique situations, give insight into their evolution and help in efforts to protect or restore endangered species. Two examples are recently published chromosome-scale genome assemblies for the Masai giraffe and the gemsbok.

Human and Animal Health

The Art of Harm Reduction: Sid Ganesh Searches for Substance Use Solutions

If you strolled through the ARC Pavilion during the 30th annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference last spring, you’d find students from across campus displaying their latest research and projects. Among the mingling academics, you’d also find Sid Ganesh and three of her watercolor paintings.

Human and Animal Health

The Repellence Cocktail: Mosquito Sense of Smell Reveals More Mysteries

While we know certain plant-derived compounds act as insect repellents, much of the molecular science behind insect olfaction remains a mystery. In a study published in iScience, UC Davis researchers exposed further layers of complexity in the mosquito olfactory system.

Human and Animal Health

Mapping Cells in the “Immortal” Regenerating Hydra

In a study appearing in Science, Assistant Professor Celina Juliano, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and her colleagues used single-cell sequencing techniques to explore the genetic trajectory for nearly 25,000 cells of the immortal Hydra.

Human and Animal Health

Student Ventures Win Financial Support

Two student groups at UC Davis have each won competitive $5000 awards through the VentureWell Foundation’s Stage 1 E-Team program. These awards help early-stage innovators create ventures and provide training that helps students explore ways to bring their solutions to market.

Campus and Community

The Plant-Pathogen Arms Race: Nature Communications Study Reveals Key Player in Plant Immunity

In a study appearing in Nature Communications, researchers identified the function of a key protein that regulates plant immunity. The fundamental research could eventually lead to agricultural practices capable of endowing crops with broad-spectrum resistance against pathogens.

Food, Agriculture and Plant Biology

Discovering Curiosity: Tilling the Fields of Plant Molecular Biology with Professor Savithramma Dinesh-Kumar

During his career, Savithramma Dinesh-Kumar has published more than 100 research papers and reviews and has received many accolades. For his excellence in molecular plant pathology research, Dinesh-Kumar recently received the Noel T. Keen Award from The American Phytopathological Society.

Food, Agriculture and Plant Biology