News
March 14, 2017
UC San Diego Spinout Genomatica is Helping Lead a Transition to More Sustainable Everyday Products
One of the chemicals that UC San Diego bioengineering spinout Genomatica is decoupling from fossil fuels, at an industrial scale, is BDO (1,4-butanediol). BDO is a widely used chemical essential in the manufacture of thousands of products from plastic packaging to coffee capsules to automotive parts. Full Story
March 13, 2017
New nano-implant could one day help restore sight
A team of engineers at the University of California San Diego and La Jolla-based startup Nanovision Biosciences Inc. have developed the nanotechnology and wireless electronics for a new type of retinal prosthesis that brings research a step closer to restoring the ability of neurons in the retina to respond to light. The researchers demonstrated this response to light in a rat retina interfacing with a prototype of the device in vitro. Full Story
March 6, 2017
New blood test could help detect and locate cancer early on
Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new blood test that could detect cancer — and locate where in the body the tumor is growing. The study could provide a way to diagnose cancer early on without having to do invasive surgical procedures like biopsies. Full Story
February 28, 2017
Cell 'stickiness' could indicate metastatic potential
How strongly tumor cells adhere to surrounding tissue could indicate how likely cancer will spread to other parts of the body, according to a new study led by bioengineers at the University of California San Diego. Using a spinning disc device, the researchers found that tumor cells that adhere weakly are more likely to migrate and invade other tissues compared with strongly adherent cells. Full Story
February 24, 2017
Decoding the genome's cryptic language
Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new tool to identify interactions between RNA and DNA molecules. The tool, called MARGI (Mapping RNA Genome Interactions), is the first technology that’s capable of providing a full account of all the RNA molecules that interact with a segment of DNA, as well as the locations of all these interactions — in just a single experiment. Full Story
February 16, 2017
Engineering Undergraduates Use DNA Origami to Target Cancer
A team of engineering students has a cancer-fighting idea up its sleeve—and the sleeve is nanoscale. The idea is based on a new cutting-edge research tool called DNA origami in which scientists literally fold the molecules of life into two- and three-dimensional shapes. The UC San Diego team plans to compete in Harvard's BIOMOD 2017 competition—a molecular design competition for undergraduates. Full Story
February 9, 2017
Engineers in Innovation at IGNITE @ UC San Diego
On February 22, the University of California San Diego will host IGNITE @ UC San Diego, an event that brings together key members of the San Diego entrepreneurial ecosystem for a day focused on hands-on learning, competitions and mentoring for innovators, founders, and startup teams. Full Story
February 9, 2017
Innovators Wanted: UC Health Hack Seeks New Ideas to Solve Critical Health Problems
Think you have an idea that will change health care but need the means to bring your innovation to fruition? Register for UC Health Hack, a two-day interdisciplinary hackathon that will bring students, physicians, researchers, industry professionals and community members together to grapple with integrative medicine and global health issues in a fast-paced competition.UC San Diego Health, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, UC Irvine Health and the UC San Diego student-led chapter of Engineering World Health are partnering for the first time to host the hackathon March 4-5. Full Story
February 8, 2017
Human-machine interactions and Secure IoT among faculty talk topics at Research Expo 2017
UC San Diego professors from a wide range of industry-focused research centers will discuss advances in contextual robotics, human-machine interaction, secure IoT, and combined engineering and policy initiatives to fully decarbonize the global economy at Research Expo on April 20, 2017. Full Story
February 7, 2017
New method to identify bacteria in blood samples works in hours instead of days
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a desktop diagnosis tool that detects the presence of harmful bacteria in a blood sample in a matter of hours instead of days. The breakthrough was made possible by a combination of proprietary chemistry, innovative electrical engineering and high-end imaging and analysis techniques powered by machine learning. The team details their work in Feb. 8 issue of Nature Scientific Reports. Full Story