Research Award Report: April 2021
Monthly research award report for faculty and researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences receiving over $150,000 in research funding
Ian Walton (Ph.D. ’77, mathematics) honored with Distinguished Graduate Alumni Award
As part of this month’s all-virtual Alumni Week celebrations, the five recipients of this year’s Distinguished Graduate Student Alumni Award will be honored for their achievements during a Zoom-based webinar award ceremony on Saturday, April 24.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Baked meteorites yield clues to planetary atmospheres
The gases released from meteorite samples heated in a high-temperature furnace can tell scientists about the initial composition of the atmospheres of rocky exoplanets.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Rethinking how disaster money is spent
Federal money to restore coastal areas hit by hurricanes and other disasters doesn’t cover the loss of natural assets like coral reefs. UC Santa Cruz marine scientist Michael Beck says it’s time to change that.
Original story from LA Times.
Ecologist Erika Zavaleta appointed to California Fish and Game Commission
Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, to the California Fish and Game Commission.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Changes in ocean chemistry show how sea level affects global carbon cycle
New analysis of strontium isotopes reveals how the global carbon cycle has responded to changes in climate and sea level through geologic time.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Research Award Report: March 2021
Monthly research award report for faculty and researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences receiving over $150,000 in research funding
Research Award Report: February 2021
Monthly research award report for faculty and researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences receiving over $150,000 in research funding
Research Award Report: January 2021
Monthly research award report for faculty and researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences receiving over $150,000 in research funding
Research Award Report: December 2020
Monthly research award report for faculty and researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences receiving over $150,000 in research funding
Research Award Report: November 2020
Monthly research award report for faculty and researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences receiving over $150,000 in research funding
Research Award Report: October 2020
Monthly research award report for faculty and researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences receiving over $150,000 in research funding
Research Award Report: September 2020
Monthly research award report for faculty and researchers at the UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences receiving over $150,000 in research funding
Wildfires burn six UC Natural Reserves; seventh threatened
Wildfires are burning at an unprecedented six reserves in the UC Natural Reserve System across northern and central California, and threaten a seventh.
Original story from University of California.
Marine mammals show off their training in evacuation from Long Marine Lab
CZU Lightning Complex update: two dolphins, five seals, and a sea lion were safely evacuated from the UC Santa Cruz Long Marine Laboratory thanks to good preparation, well-trained and cooperative animals, and generous assistance from SeaWorld San Diego and the Marine Mammal Center.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Research buildings saved as wildfire sweeps across Big Creek Natural Reserve
Fire preparedness helped firefighters save structures from fast-moving Dolan Fire, damage to natural resources unknown.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
New study shows retreat of East Antarctic Ice Sheet during previous warm periods
Evidence of glacial retreat in the Wilkes Basin 400,000 years ago suggests ice loss in this region could add 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 meters) to future global sea level rise.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Is COVID-related reduction in marine traffic reducing stress in whales?
Whale researchers are taking advantage of changes in boat traffic in Monterey Bay during the pandemic to collect data on stress hormones in humpback whales.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Astrophysics graduate student Diana Powell wins 2020 Ford Fellowship
Diana Powell, an astrophysics graduate student at UC Santa Cruz, was among 132 outstanding scholars awarded fellowships in the 2020 Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
White dwarfs reveal new insights into the origin of carbon in the universe
A new analysis of white dwarf stars supports their role as a key source of carbon, an element crucial to all life, in the Milky Way and other galaxies.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center director Julie Barrett Heffington retires
After 21 years as director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Julie Barrett Heffington has announced her retirement, beginning July 1.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Evidence supports ‘hot start’ scenario and early ocean formation on Pluto
The accretion of new material during Pluto’s formation may have generated enough heat to create a liquid ocean that has persisted beneath an icy crust to the present day, despite the dwarf planet’s orbit far from the sun in the cold outer reaches of the solar system.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Student award recipients for 2019-20
I wanted to take a moment to offer my personal congratulations on being selected as award recipients this academic year. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
New method predicts spin dynamics of materials for quantum computing
Universal first-principles approach will accelerate the identification and design of materials for quantum information science and other spintronics applications.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter
Help us celebrate the Class of 2020 during graduate in place
Help us celebrate the UC Santa Cruz Class of 2020 as they embark upon their next journey! We’re collecting messages of congrats, love, and hope from students, alumni, and family now with the full site going live the first week of June—plus a few other surprises.
Eminent biologist Carol Greider to join UC Santa Cruz faculty
Known for her pioneering work on telomeres, Greider brings exceptional research and leadership skills to her appointment in the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
The galaxy that grew up too fast
A vast wheel of gas in the primordial cosmos is forcing astronomers to rethink how some of the universe’s largest structures may have formed.
Original story from The New York Times.
NRS reserves adapt to coronavirus shutdown
At first blush, the hillsides, shorelines, and meadows of reserves might seem extremely safe places to be during the outbreak of an airborne pathogen. But the limited facilities at reserves mean visitors typically share close quarters.
Original story from UC Natural Reserve System.
UC Santa Cruz lab increases COVID-19 testing for Santa Cruz County
In Santa Cruz County, they should be testing just over 400 people a day. Right now, on average, the county says it’s doing about 167 tests per day. But one newly created lab at UC Santa Cruz is hoping to help the county reach that goal.
Original story from KAZU.
Tracing neurons in the visual cortex sheds light on brain’s circuitry
Researchers used a combination of techniques to identify different neuronal cell types and trace their connectivity within the mouse visual cortex.
Original Story from UCSC Newscenter.
UC Santa Cruz scientists create diagnostic lab
Scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz have been working hard to set up a lab to test for coronavirus in the community and it has finally paid off.
Original story from KSBW.
Learn from UCSC Coronavirus Team on Remarkable People
My guests this week on Remarkable People are the esteemed UCSC Coronavirus Team. The UCSC Genomics Institute has been working around the clock to combat the coronavirus. I recently led a discussion into the pioneering research and results.
Original story from Guy Kawasaki.
Powerful new AI technique detects & classifies galaxies in astronomy image data
UCSC researchers developed a deep-learning framework called Morpheus to perform pixel-level morphological classifications of objects in astronomical images.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Alumnus leads massive effort to ramp up COVID-19 testing
Joe DeRisi, award-winning “disease tracker,” converted unused lab space into one of America’s most prolific COVID-19 testing centers in eight days.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Undergraduate studies ecology of fear at Fort Ord
Air Force Veteran and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology student Nicholas Bergeron navigates field research at UCSC Fort Ord Natural Reserve in the time of COVID 19.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
She predicted the Coronavirus. What does she foresee next?
Laurie Garrett, the prophet of this pandemic, expects years of death and “collective rage.”
Original story from The New York Times.
What Antibody Studies Can Tell You — and More Importantly, What They Can’t
Coronavirus antibody studies and what they allegedly show have triggered fierce debates, further confusing public understanding. ProPublica’s health reporter Caroline Chen is here to offer some clarity around these crucial surveys.
Original story from ProPublica.
Planetary scientist Francis Nimmo elected to National Academy of Sciences
Francis Nimmo, professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
UCSC receive okay to begin testing for COVID-19
Scientists on campus have been working on a diagnostic testing lab that will meet the needs of students, staff, and the community.
Original story from KSBW.
High-throughput protocol for producing tetramer assay probes used to investigate COVID-19
The developers of a novel method to create immunological assay probes for screening T cells has leveraged their new protocol against COVID-19.
Original story from Drug Target Review.
New program advances global & community health
As countries across the globe fight the coronavirus pandemic, UC Santa Cruz is creating a new program that will prepare students and provide research to solve current and future global health problems.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Serving on the medical front lines in Kenya
Alumna Sarah Ashley, who volunteers as an oversight physician in a Nairobi emergency room, knows she will be needed as the COVID-19 pandemic gets worse.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Fighting on the front lines of COVID-19
Alumnus Jon Mark Hirshon, an emergency physician, faces isolation and personal risk while providing emergency care at a busy Baltimore hospital.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
The long road home from Antarctica
“In late December, my son left for Antarctica. He’s a marine biologist who is doing a whale study in this vast and intimidating place. I didn’t worry… Until I heard that he might be trapped there due to COVID-19.”
Original story from Voices of Monterey Bay.
UCSC scientists round-up supplies for local doctors to combat COVID-19
University of Santa Cruz scientists are donating protective medical supplies to local hospitals facing shortages.
Original story from KSBW.
How to #keepteaching and #keeplearning during a pandemic
Jody Greene is eager—almost desperate—to help her colleagues who are facing the unprecedented challenge of shifting to remote instruction for the entire spring quarter.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
Slowing the Coronavirus’ spread in Santa Cruz County
With the first confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Santa Cruz County, residents are being asked to take steps to protect themselves and the community at large.
Original story from Goodtimes.
Pandemics expert: We need leadership, creative thinking, and government accountability as coronavirus spreads
Alumna Laurie Garrett urges communities to help the most vulnerable, proactively develop plans, and discredit conspiracy theories as they cope with the crisis.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
The Cost of Silence
The Cost of Silence, a new documentary by director Mark Manning, offers a more nefarious reading of the decision to use chemical dispersants by aerial spraying and injection during the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.
Original story from Science.
Biodiversity may thrive through games of rock-paper-scissors
A pioneer of synthetic biology at the University of California, San Diego, Jeff Hasty has spent his 20-year career designing strategies to make genetic circuits in engineered bacteria work together. But several years ago, Hasty had to admit that even he couldn’t outfox the humble bacterium Escherichia coli.
Original story from Quanta Magazine.
Slugs rising to the COVID-19 challenge
While the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed our daily lives, our Banana Slug community is using science to rise and meet the challenge. We are racing to understand how the coronavirus is causing illness and how to stop it. We are working to increase the supply of protective gear for health workers. We are on the medical front lines and driving policy. We are still teaching and supporting our students.
Early riser or night owl? New study may help to explain the difference
An NIH-funded team has some new clues based on evidence showing how a molecular “switch” wired into the biological clocks of extreme early risers leads them to operate on a daily cycle of about 20 hours instead of a full 24-hour, or circadian cycle.
Original story from NIH Director’s Blog.
Biologist Marm Kilpatrick helps introduce a new bill to protect monarch butterflies
Today, Congressman Jimmy Panetta announced that he introduced H.R. 5920, the bipartisan Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act.
Original story from Congressman Jimmy Panetta.
Mike Loso: Solving an excremental crisis
Alumnus Mike Loso has become a rather famous scientist. But not for a reason he expected.
Original story from UC Santa Cruz Magazine.
The mysterious case of the ornamented coot chicks has a surprising explanation
As adults, American coots have a drab color scheme, with black bodies and white bills. Their chicks, however, have an aesthetic that’s part drunk friar, part disheveled lion, and part tequila sunrise. Their faces and bald pates are bright red, while their necks are encircled in scruffy yellow-orange plumes.
Original story from The Atlantic.
Year in Science 2019
The UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences has a reputation for instigating some of humanity’s most high-impact discoveries. Here are just a few of the research boundaries our scientists hurdled in 2019.
Science & Engineering Library renovations focus on student needs
Renovations at the Science & Engineering Library are done! We have created a comfortable and beautiful study environment to support our students’ academic success through active learning spaces and new technologies.
TED Talk: Your body was forged in the spectacular death of stars
Journey through the cosmic history of the universe as Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz explains how supernovas forged the elements of life to create everything from the air you breathe to the very atoms that make you.
Original story from TED.com
Genome sequencing could help save pumas from inbreeding
The first complete genetic sequences of individual mountain lions point the way to better conservation strategies for saving threatened populations of the wild animals.
Original story from UCSC Newscenter.
New IPCC Report: San Diego has unique edge to tackle climate change
The Earth’s coastal and polar areas are on thin ice, a new climate report warns, but San Diego may be in a better place than others to weather those changes if it acts swiftly.
Original story from The San Diego Union-Tribune.
How a Santa Cruz toxicologist helped push through a ban on lead ammunition in California
Having linked the ammunition to condor poisonings, Myra Finkelstein is now turning her attention to other toxic threats for birds.
Original story from c&en.
“There’s no coming back from this:” Why the global ocean crisis threatens us all
We are hunting whales in Antarctica and time is running out. Unlike the harpooners of old, our goal is not to butcher them for blubber. Instead, it’s to get close enough to slap satellite-linked tracking tags on them. And rather than kill them, the point is to figure out how to make sure they survive.
Original story from Canadian Geographic.