Recent News

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    New Firtel Eureka! Scholarship Honors Longtime Biological Sciences Professor

    Firtel family celebrates professor’s 80th birthday with funding to support research experiences for a new generation of biologists

    In honor of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Rick Firtel’s 80th birthday, the Firtel family has provided financial support for students in the Eureka! Scholars Program, which offers students priceless work experiences in School of Biological Sciences laboratories.
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    Not So Selfish After All: Viruses Use Freeloading Genes as Weapons

    Phage viruses, which are increasingly used to treat antibiotic resistance, gain an advantage by cutting off a competitor’s ability to reproduce

    Certain pieces of DNA have been labeled as “selfish genetic elements” due to notions that they don’t contribute to a host organism’s survival. Instead, researchers have now discovered that these elements have been weaponized and play a crucial role by cutting off a competitor’s ability to reproduce.
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    Neurobiology’s Eugene Jen Jin Wins Postdoctoral Association’s Elevator Pitch Competition

    Eugene Jen Jin, a postdoctoral scholar in Professor Yishi Jin’s lab, recently took first place in a postdoctoral Elevator Pitch Competition, which was a featured part of the Postdoctoral Association’s (PDA) Research Communication and Outreach Symposium.
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    Samara Reck-Peterson Elected Fellow of American Society For Cell Biology

    Professor Samara Reck-Peterson of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, has been named a fellow of the American Society For Cell Biology.
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    Amy Pasquinelli Selected for Grant to Study the Role of Toxic RNA in Aging

    Funding will support research on the mechanisms behind changes in RNA quality control

    Biological Sciences Professor Amy Pasquinelli has been awarded a grant from the Hevolution Foundation to support research on aging. With support from the Hevolution Foundation, Pasquinelli will investigate the causes and consequences of aberrant RNA accumulation during organismal aging.

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    Making Connections: Introducing Biological Sciences’ New Diversity Initiatives Director

    Torrell Foree strives for inclusivity and connectivity in tandem with academic and research achievement

    UC San Diego’s School of Biological Sciences has hired Torrell Foree as its first director of diversity initiatives. Foree’s arrival will help the school re-examine its culture and ensure that EDI is woven into the community’s fabric.

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    New ‘Atlas’ Provides Unprecedented Insights on How Genes Function in Early Embryo Development

    Ten-year project results in new gene databank that includes many genes tied to human disorders

    UC San Diego biologists have provided new insights on a longstanding puzzle in biology: How complex organisms arise from a single fertilized cell. Producing a new “gene atlas” with 4D imaging, the researchers captured unprecedented insights on how embryonic development unfolds.

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    Detecting Odors on the Edge: Researchers Decipher How Insects Smell More with Less

    Receptors on fly antennae work in pairs to process vital odor information

    While humans feature a sophisticated sense of smell, insects have a much more basic olfactory system. Yet they depend upon smell to survive. Scientists have figured out how fruit flies use a simple but efficient system to recognize odors, and the answer lies at the edges of their antennae.

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    Bee-lieve It or Not: 8 Fascinating Bee Facts for World Bee Day

    UC San Diego Today sat down with Jess Mullins, a Ph.D. student in the Ecology, Behavior and Evolution Department, to dive deeper into the world of bees and uncover fascinating insights about these pollinators.

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    Ryan Hibbs Wins Ochsner Award for Research on Smoking and Disease

    Professor Ryan Hibbs has been named a winner of the 38th annual Alton Ochsner Award. The award recognizes scientists who have contributed significantly to science’s understanding of the relationship between smoking and disease, along with the development of innovative treatments.

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    Leaders in Their Fields

    Five graduate students were recently inducted into the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.

    Five UC San Diego graduate students, including BioSci's Ugbad Farah, recently joined the ranks of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society, a prestigious national organization committed to social justice, diversity, leadership and academic excellence.

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