Science & Technology Content

Plants Balance Adaptability in Skin Cells with Stability in Sex Cells

Andy Fell — November 12, 2025 - 3:10pm

Mutations drive evolution, but they can also be risky. New research led by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, published Nov. 10 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals how plants control mutation rates in different stem cells to balance adaptability with safety and stability. The findings have implications for breeding some of the world’s most important fruit and vegetable crops, such as potatoes and bananas.

Mechanical Power by Linking Earth’s Warmth to Space

Andy Fell — November 12, 2025 - 11:31am

Engineers at the University of California, Davis, have invented a device that can generate mechanical power at night by linking the natural warmth around us to the cold depths of space. The invention could be used, for example, to ventilate greenhouses or other buildings. The work is described Nov. 12 in Science Advances.

UC Davis Chancellor May Names Aisha Jackson as University’s First Chief Information and Digital Strategy Executive

James Michael Nash — October 30, 2025 - 7:47am

University of California, Davis Chancellor Gary S. May has appointed Aisha Jackson as the university’s first chief information and digital strategy executive (CIDSE). Reporting directly to the chancellor and serving as a member of the Chancellor’s Leadership Council, Jackson will begin her new role Dec. 1, 2025. The position is a two-year term.

Federal Contract for up to $40 Million Fuels Research to Revolutionize Clean Indoor Air and Defend Against Next Pandemic

Andy Fell — October 16, 2025 - 2:05pm

When a public building catches fire, its built-in systems automatically respond: Smoke alarms blare, sprinklers kick on, and occupants quickly evacuate.

But what if the life-threatening danger isn’t fire but invisible airborne contaminants that can make occupants sick? Could a similar smart-building system monitor and improve the quality of the air indoors, where Americans spend 90 percent of their time?

Engineers, Neurosurgeons Help Restore Autonomy for People with Paralysis

Cody Kitaura — October 15, 2025 - 7:00am

In a world first, a team of engineers, neuroscientists and neurosurgeons at UC Davis and UC Davis Health has demonstrated that brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, for translating brain signals into speech can also enable control of a computer cursor.

Astronomers Find Mystery Dark Object in Distant Universe

Andy Fell — October 09, 2025 - 2:40pm

Using a global network of telescopes, astronomers have detected the lowest-mass dark object yet found in the universe. Finding more such objects and understanding their nature could rule out some theories about the nature of dark matter, the mystery substance that makes up about a quarter of the universe. The work is described in two papers published Oct. 9 in Nature Astronomy and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Newly Recognized Pathway Could Protect People with Diabetes from Hypoglycemia

Andy Fell — October 02, 2025 - 11:15am

A new study by the University of California, Davis, shows how cells work together to avoid a sudden drop in blood sugar. Understanding these feedback loops could improve the lives of people with diabetes and help them avoid dangerous hypoglycemia.

The work was published Sept. 16 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

UC Davis Receives $961 Million in Annual Research Funding, Fueling Innovation, Insight and the Economy

James Michael Nash — October 01, 2025 - 8:00am

The University of California, Davis, received $961 million in external research awards for the fiscal year 2024-25. The funding, from various sources, supports a broad range of research to transform lives and communities as illustrated in the newly released annual Research Impact Report.

Psilocybin May Present Unique Risks During the Postpartum Period

Andy Fell — September 30, 2025 - 1:14pm

Magic mushrooms may not be the answer to postpartum depression, new research from the University of California, Davis, suggests.

Landmark Discovery Reveals How Chromosomes Are Passed From One Generation to the Next

Andy Fell — September 24, 2025 - 5:00pm

When a woman becomes pregnant, the outcome of that pregnancy depends on many things — including a crucial event that happened while she was still growing inside her own mother’s womb. It depends on the quality of the egg cells that were already forming inside her fetal ovaries. The DNA-containing chromosomes in those cells must be cut, spliced and sorted perfectly. In males, the same process produces sperm in the testes but occurs only after puberty.