News
April 27, 2023
Scientists Slow Aging by Engineering Longevity in Cells
Researchers have developed a biosynthetic “clock” that keeps cells from reaching normal levels of deterioration related to aging. They engineered a gene oscillator that switches between the two normal paths of aging, slowing cell degeneration and setting a record for life extension. Full Story
April 18, 2023
This student organization builds neurotechnology devices
UC San Diego students will present three projects at an event that will bring together teams for five University of California campuses April 29 at UCLA. The neuro-tech conference is organized by student organizations at UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis. Full Story
April 11, 2023
Commercial-scale Biomanufactured Melatonin is Here
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
March 2, 2023
Four Early Career Professors at UC San Diego Awarded Sloan Research Fellowships
Nanoengineering professor Tod Pascal and bioengineering professor Lingyan Shi are among the four professors at UC San Diego who have been selected as 2023 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellows, a prestigious award for early-career scientists of outstanding promise. Full Story
February 28, 2023
Two UC San Diego Engineers Elected to the National Academy of Inventors
Two engineers from the University of California San Diego have been elected Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), in recognition of their efforts to improve human health through engineering. Bioengineering professors Michael J. Heller, who is also associated with nanoengineering, and Karen Christman are being recognized for the positive impacts that have come from their research. Full Story
February 1, 2023
This Injectable Biomaterial Heals Tissues From the Inside Out
A new biomaterial that can be injected intravenously, reduces inflammation in tissue and promotes cell and tissue repair. The biomaterial was tested and proven effective in treating tissue damage caused by heart attacks in both rodent and large animal models. Researchers also provided proof of concept in a rodent model that the biomaterial could be beneficial to patients with traumatic brain injury and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Full Story
January 25, 2023
Supplementation with amino acid serine eases neuropathy in diabetic mice
Approximately half of people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes experience peripheral neuropathy—weakness, numbness, and pain, primarily in the hands and feet. The condition occurs when high levels of sugar circulating in the blood damage peripheral nerves. Now, working with mice, Salk Institute researchers, in collaboration with the University of California San Diego, have identified another factor contributing to diabetes-associated peripheral neuropathy: altered amino acid metabolism. Full Story
January 17, 2023
In Cells, UV-Emitting Nail Polish Dryers Damage DNA and Cause Mutations
The ultraviolet nail polish drying devices used to cure gel manicures may pose more of a public health concern than previously thought. Researchers at UC San Diego studied these UV light-emitting devices, and found that their use leads to cell death and cancer-causing mutations in human cells. Full Story
December 22, 2022
Identifying pathways to slow cardiac aging
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and is caused in part by age-related cardiac structural dysfunction. A team of bioengineers at UC San Diego published a paper in Nature Aging on Dec. 22 that helps advance our understanding of how hearts age, and sheds light on a possible pathway to slow cardiac aging. Full Story
December 20, 2022
2022 Research Highlights
From tools to track the origin and spread of COVID-19, to making homes safer in earthquakes, to using smartphones as diagnostic tools, researchers at the Jacobs School of Engineering pioneered important work in 2022. A few highlights of our outstanding research this year are here. Full Story