University of California | Research

Women with PTSD may have increased health risk

UCSF researchers found that women who have post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely age faster, and they have a higher risk for diseases than men.

River project promises clarity, security for California water resources

Researchers at UC Merced are installing wireless sensors across the American River to monitor the water level. This will help pinpoint how fast the snow is melting and when the meltwater will arrive in the reservoirs each spring.

An easy way to solve loneliness

As people age, they are more prone to loneliness, which can take a huge physical toll. A UCLA study shows that meditation can reduce loneliness and strengthen the body's immune system

Pavement a hot topic for UC Berkeley researchers

The recently retired director of the UC Pavement Research Center discusses some of the important work conducted at the facility.

Climate change skeptic changes views

A UC Berkeley physicist now states that the reason for global warming is due to the human emission of carbon monoxide. He argues that the warm-up began with the Industrial Revolution and has accelerated in recent years.

Fellows advance commercially promising research

Research innovations by early-career faculty at UC Berkeley are getting a boost toward commercial development from the campus'Baker Fellows Program, which helps push discoveries that will improve the California economy.

Electric vehicles are doing even more

UC Riverside scientists say they can extend the rate of vehicles by 10 percent by taking into account real time traffic conditions. They are developing an eco-routing procedure that finds a way to expend the least amount of energy for a trip.

Study warns of continued rise in wildfires

A UC Berkeley researcher reports that some areas of the world, including the western United States, 'should brace themselves for more fire.'

Researchers find increase in Lyme disease mirrors drop in red fox numbers

A continued increase of Lyme disease in the U.S., once linked to a recovering deer population, may instead be explained by a decline of the red fox, UC Santa Cruz researchers suggest.

Climate change may spark more wildfires in future

A UC Berkeley study shows that in coming years, the frequency of wildfires will increase because of climate change.

Climate more sensitive to carbon dioxide now than in past epochs

Many studies of Earth's climate history have documented a strong correlation between global climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide: during warm periods, high concentrations persist, and colder times correspond to relatively low levels. Now, however, researchers at UC Santa Cruz have found an exception to this pattern.

Nuisance seaweed found to produce compounds with biomedical potential

A seaweed considered a threat to the healthy growth of coral reefs in Hawaii may possess the ability to produce substances that could one day treat human diseases, a new study led by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has revealed.

Elephant seal tracking reveals hidden lives of deep-diving animals

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz, who pioneered the use of satellite tags to monitor the migrations of elephant seals, have compiled one of the largest datasets available for any marine mammal species, revealing their movements and diving behavior at sea in unprecedented detail.

Water crisis documentary features UC Irvine hydrologist

UC Irvine global water specialist Jay Famiglietti is the unlikely star of a new documentary, 'Last Call at the Oasis,' directed by Academy Award winner Jessica Yu.

Nano-subs built to grab and move oil spills to collection site

UC San Diego scientists have built a self-propelled 'microsubmarine' that can scoop up oil from contaminated waters and take the droplets to a collection facility.

Researcher's waste-to-energy technology moves from the lab to the marketplace

Technology invented by a UC Davis researcher that converts solid waste into renewable energy debuted as the first commercially available, high-solid anaerobic digestion system in the U.S.

UC Riverside recognized for environmental efforts

The new School of Medicine Research Building at UC Riverside has received LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Energy from lasers: Sure shot or dead end?

The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory opened its doors to their control room for CBS 'Sunday Morning' to witness a laser shot for tests that may change how the U.S. may someday get its energy.

Which plants will survive droughts, climate change?

New research by UCLA life scientists could lead to predictions of which plant species will escape extinction from climate change.

Engineering researchers use electricity to generate alternative fuel

A UCLA team has demonstrated for the first time a method for converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuel isobutanol using electricity.

A new species in New York was croaking in plain sight

Genetic analysis to identify a new species of leopard frog was conducted in the UC Davis lab of H. Bradley Shaffer, who is now at UCLA.

Ecologist simulates climate change with infrared heaters

A UC Merced scientist is studying how trees in the mountains of Colorado will adapt to climate change.

Pounding pavement in search of a smoother drive

The UC Pavement Research Center in Davis works on creating longer lasting, quieter and more fuel efficient pavement.

Breakthrough in designing cheaper, more efficient catalysts for fuel cells

UC Berkeley chemists are reimagining catalysts in ways that could have a profound impact on the chemical industry as well as on the growing market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Group encourages farming efficiency

Hoping to encourage the use of conservation practices, UC has launched an organization that could potentially save farmers time and money, and reduce their impact on the environment.

Turning bacteria into 'blinking light bulbs'

UC San Diego scientists, exploring how to program cells to perform machine-like tasks such as monitoring the environment, found a way to make lowly bacteria glow, blink in unison and spell out the school's initials.

Universities' solar future illuminated

A group of UC researchers met recently at UC Merced to talk about some of the latest solar research and its potential impact.

Beer or sugar water? For flies, the choice is pale ale

Scientists at UC Riverside think they have figured out why flies like beer. That may sound a bit trivial, but in fact it could lead to new ways of combating plant and animal pests.

Hummingbirds shake their heads to deal with rain

UC Berkeley researchers studied slow motion footage of the extraordinary head movements of hummingbirds. Their findings could help engineers develop micro air vehicles that could cope with unsettled weather or even washing machines with an improved drying spin.

Scripps videos bizarre marine life in deep ocean

Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego dropped untethered cameras into the western Pacific to videotape large numbers of bizarre amoeba appearing to thrive 6.6 miles beneath the surface in the Mariana Trench, the deepest waters on Earth.

Useless grass could become the next biofuel

A UC Berkeley biologist has transferred a gene from a variety of corn into a widespread, fast-growing species of the grass, and transformed it into what could become an important source of biofuel.

Air pollution tied to premature births

Pregnant women who live in areas with high levels of air pollution caused by heavy traffic could be at increased risk for premature births, according to a UCLA study.

Drivers waste fuel, not cars

UC Riverside researchers are developing a new way to boost fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent. Their secret? Changing our behavior so we are more attuned to maximizing mileage while behind the wheel.

Radiation from Japan spiked on west coast in March

A spike in radioactive sulfur from the damaged Japanese nuclear plant was detected in California in late March, but UC San Diego researchers say it posed no threat to health.

Scientists still puzzled by honeybee decline

UC Davis scientists have begun searching for ways to improve the health of honey bees, with the hope that they will solve the ongoing mystery of the drastic decline of the bee population.

SynapSense raises $16M for data center energy monitoring

A startup, cofounded by a UC Davis researcher, develops sensors that help data centers monitor and cut down energy usage. It raised another round of funds from VCs to expand

Scientists fight a deadly oak tree disease

UC Berkeley researchers are part of the largest experiment ever conducted in the wild on a promising preventive treatment for sudden oak death.

Creating reservoirs under roads and parking lots

John Harvey, UC Davis professor and director of the UC Pavement Research Center, discusses an eco-friendly paving option.

Flying ants use legs, butts to steer

A UC Berkeley researcher has been lugging specially designed wind tunnels into the Amazonian rain forest to capture the movements of ants that can fly.

New viruses found in bees may help explain mysterious deaths

UCSF researchers have identified four new viruses that infect healthy honeybees, potential clues that may help them better understand why colonies are dying.

Drifting pesticides may endanger people in nearby workplaces

People who work near fields sprayed with pesticides face an increased risk for Parkinson's disease, a UCLA study has found.

Climate change can determine whether species go or stay

UC Berkeley scientists study how precipitation and temperature changes impact birds and other animals. They hope to project how different species will respond to future climate change.

Too much fructose sets up metabolic trouble

A UC Davis study explains how fructose is a major factor in metabolic syndrome, which can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Overcrowded ERs lead to even bigger problems

A UCSF study found that California hospitals in areas with large minority populations are plagued with overcrowding, which has become a major problem in the health system.

UC research drives climate change report

A state report on climate change and California's landscape features research from seven UC campuses and laboratories.

Pink and painful

Researchers at UC San Diego have new insight on the science behind the sunburn. Their study pinpoints the factors that trigger sunburn, which is a protective mechanism preventing damaged cells from turning into skin cancer.

Solar cells that produce electricity from windows

UCLA researchers have developed a new transparent solar cell that allows windows in buildings to generate electricity while still letting people be able to see outside.

Engineering aid for UC Natural Reserves

Enterprising UC Berkeley engineering students have developed two compact, remote-controlled aircraft to keep tabs on UC Natural Reserves.

Brown widow spiders taking over black widows in California

The brown widow spider, a less-poisonous species than its cousin, the black widow spider, is making its claim in the dark recesses of Southern California trash can lids, plant pot lips and wood piles, finds a UC Riverside study.

Predicting when plants face extinction threat

A UC Riverside graduate student has developed a mathematical model to predict when plants are at risk of losing their pollinators, which could guide decisions that help prevent extinctions of wildflower species.

Lab ensures quality control for climate research

In a fortresslike laboratory at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, scientists track subtle changes in ocean chemistry with the kind of precision that can be compared around the globe and across decades.

Open-fire cooking may affect child cognitive development

Children exposed to open-fire cooking in developing countries experience difficulty with memory, problem-solving and social skills, according to researchers at the UC Riverside.

Colorful butterflies increase their odds of survival by sharing traits

An international genetics consortium at UC Irvine finds butterflies also use taste and smell genes to increase their chances of living longer.

Team taps viruses to make electricity

Scientists at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a way to generate power using harmless viruses that convert mechanical energy into electricity.

Biodiversity loss ranks with climate change and pollution in terms of impacts to environment

A study published by an international research team at UC Santa Barbara has found that loss of biodiversity impacts the environment as significantly as climate change and pollution.

Entomologist gains notice with online answer to question bugging humans

'Should I kill it and put it out of its misery?' This question about insects garnered a burst of celebrity for a UC Davis graduate student.

Researchers offer new ecological model for deep-water oil spills

On the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform blowout, UC Santa Barbara researchers provided new insight into what happened in the disaster, as well as a guide for how to deal with such events in the future.

Fusion energy progress by Livermore scientists

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists report that after years of experiments, they have moved closer to reproducing the blazing energy of the sun's interior in the laboratory.

New Hopland building integrates nature with function

Woodpecker-friendly siding harvested from a UC-managed forest and posts salvaged from a century-old mill are among the many 'green' features at a new UC facility currently under construction in Mendocino County.

International drilling expedition to probe Japanese fault zone

UC Santa Cruz scientists are involved in an ambitious project to measure properties of the fault that caused the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Coastal California fog carries toxic mercury, study finds

New research out of UC Santa Cruz shows that the moist fog air carries methylmercury, an especially toxic form of the heavy metal mercury.

Report: nitrate contamination spreading

Nitrate contamination of drinking water is a pervasive problem in California's agricultural heartland and is bound to intensify in the coming years, according to a UC Davis study.

Gases drawn into smog particles stay there, study reveals

A finding by UC Irvine researchers could explain why air pollution models underestimate organic aerosols.

Graphene-based composites could cool electronics

UC Riverside researchers have developed a material that could efficiently remove unwanted heat from electronic components such as computer chips or light emitting diodes.

Stock values rise when companies disclose 'green' information, study finds

It pays to be green, as companies that are open about their greenhouse gas emissions and carbon reduction strategies see stock values rise, according to a UC Davis study.

Scientist at work

A UC Riverside biologist writes from the tropical dry forest near Alamos, Mexico, where she is studying Callipepla quail.

Mega-quake clusters unlikely, study finds

The global risk of catastrophic earthquakes has not risen in recent years, according to a UC San Diego study.

Can 'carbon ranching' offset emissions in California?

A UC Berkeley scientist measures greenhouse gases coming up out of the peat-rich soil. She is looking for ways to reduce those gases, and that could create offsets that farmers and ranchers could sell to businesses trying to reduce their carbon footprint.

Bush meat: when conservation and child nutrition collide

A UC Berkeley showed that children in Madagascar who ate more wildlife were less likely to suffer from iron deficiency anemia than other kids.

Mulling the second life of an E.V. battery

Researchers at UC San Diego, Davis and Berkeley are partners in an experiment to get the most out of electric vehicle batteries.

Skeptic's own study finds climate change real

A prominent UC Berkeley physicist and skeptic of global warming spent two years trying to find out if mainstream climate scientists were wrong. In the end, he determined they were right: Temperatures really are rising rapidly.

Brave thinkers

UC Berkeley physicist Richard Muller: A scientist, suspicious of manipulated climate-change data, bucks expectations and presents the evidence for man-made global warming.

UC Merced gets grant to track Sierra snowpack

Researchers were awarded a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a revolutionary network for tracking the Sierra snowpack as the climate warms.

Devastating tree-killing pathogen traced to California

A study by UC Berkeley and Italian researchers may have solved a decades-long mystery behind the source of a tree-killing fungus that affected six of the world's seven continents.

Why cleaned wastewater stays dirty in our minds

UC Santa Cruz environmental studies professor Brent Haddad researches water in a place where water is often in short supply: California.

Environment

Parasites moving on up

A UC Santa Barbara research paper breaks new ground by including parasites in a detailed study of ecosystems.

Solar panels provide cool extra benefit

A UC San Diego professor says he found using thermal imaging that a building ceiling could be cooler during the day under solar panels, and at night the panels help hold in heat..

California next nightmare

UC researchers predict that there is a 64 percent chance of a catastrophic levee failure in the delta in the next 50 years.

E.coli seen spawning biofuel in five years

The bacteria behind food poisoning, the mighty E.coli, could be turned into a commercially available biofuel in five years, said Jay Keasling of UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Taking stock of the California Current

Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been methodically measuring the southern waters of the current for 62 years, and their data series is touted as the most extensive of its kind in the world.

Cows not at fault for decline of Yosemite toads

A study by UC Davis, UC Berkeley and the U.S. Forest Service found that livestock grazing is not the reason for a steep decline in the high-country amphibian.

For water researchers, an atmosphere full of questions

A UC San Diego scientist is part of the CalWater project to determine why some clouds give up their moisture and others don't.

A deadly virus identified in snakes

UCSF scientists have uncovered the possible cause of a mysterious disease that causes bacterial infections, neurological problems, anorexia and withering in snakes.

Solar energy institute seeks to shine by raising funds

UC Merced is focused on making solar energy more affordable and efficient, and the funds from its sponsors are allowing the institute to thrive.

Amphibian species on the increase

Scientists at UC Berkeley have discovered new species of frogs, newts, salamanders, caecilians and are tracking them day by day, while continuing to worry about mass extinction of frogs.

Helping plants fight back

To protect crops from destruction researchers at UC Davis are developing a technique to exploit parasitic vines that suck water, nutrients and information from plants.

Transportation energy challenge solved?

UC Davis joined five other research institutions in releasing a national standard for low carbon fuel. There are high hopes that this standard will ensure fuels in the future are cleaner and cheaper and 'made in America.'

Why will California have higher sea level rise?

UC Santa Cruz director of the Institute of Marine Sciences explains the curious reason why California will see higher than average sea level rise, while the Pacific Northwest will see a lower rise. A major earthquake could make the situation even worse.

Social bats pay a price with new fungal disease

The impact on bat populations of a deadly fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome may depend on how gregarious the bats are during hibernation, finds a UC Santa Cruz study.

Resolving the riddle of why the zebra has stripes

A UCLA researcher received a grant from the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration to investigate the genetic basis and adaptive significance of stripe pattern variation in zebra.

Humans may be forcing an irreversible tipping point for Earth

The study by an international team of scientists, including two from UC Davis, finds severe impact on fisheries, agriculture, clean water and much of what Earth needs to sustain its inhabitants.

A virus that helps charge your cellphone

Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory say they have created a virus that generates electricity. It's a first step toward using genetically engineered viruses to build devices that convert the body's motion into electricity.

Plants previously thought to be 'stable' found to be responding to climate change

Many wild plant species thought to be stable in the face of climate change are actually responding to global warming, say researchers at UC Santa Barbara.

Plastic trash altering ocean habitats, study shows

A 100-fold upsurge in human-produced plastic garbage in the ocean is altering habitats in the marine environment, according to a new study led by a graduate student researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

Robots measure flow of Sacramento River

A fleet of 100 robots, developed by UC Berkeley researchers, floated down the Sacramento River to demonstrate their ability to measure the pace of the river's flow and to navigate the delta's water.

Experiments do not adequately predict plant responses to global climate change, researchers say

Plants may be reacting to climate change more than we think, and the uncertainty could leave us ill-prepared for the future effects of global warming, say UC Santa Barbara scientists.

Scientists drill into Clear Lake to see future

Drilling deeply into ancient sediments, UC Berkeley scientists are seeking vital clues to the future of plant and animal life by investigating how changing climates have altered life in the distant past.

Get rid of dryer, save $6,500

A team of former UC Riverside students has designed a system that consists of a solar-powered attic fan diverting solar thermal heat from a rooftop solar heat collector, and hot air from the attic, to a retrofitted closet that serves as a clothes dryer.

'Robosquirrel' deployed to research relationship with rattlesnakes

A lifelike robot, built by a team from UC Davis, can replicate two behaviors squirrels display when confronted by a rattlesnake. It joins a growing list of robot creatures created by the campus.

The sweet smell of success

A UC Irvine graduate student has won a Public Impact Fellowship for her sage scrub restoration efforts.

Tobacco plants turn into living vaccine factories

A UC Davis graduate student has formed a startup to turn tobacco plants into cheap biological factories for churning out bioengineered proteins for human or animal vaccines.

Students use engineering know-how to help people at home and a world away

A small village in the Philippines will soon be safer from typhoons and earthquakes, thanks to the work of a group of UC San Diego undergraduates who are designing a model home that uses new and sustainable technologies.

A bold plan to reshape the Central Valley flood plain

A UC Davis graduate student leads an experiment that conservationists and government officials hope will provide scientific data to help guide a sweeping transformation of riverfront lands throughout the Central Valley.

Yosemite's alpine chipmunks take genetic hit from climate change

A UC Berkeley study is one of the first to show a hit to the genetic diversity of a species because of a recent climate induced change in the animals' geographic range.

Team seeks to learn how humans adapt to high places

Mark Aldenderfer, dean of the UC School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, is part of a research group that will depart to the Himalayas this summer.

San Diego's algal biofuels research enterprise continues rapid growth

San Diego's research efforts to produce new transportation fuels from algae generated more than double the number of jobs for local workers in 2011 than were available in the region just two years ago.

Wasps combat Asian citrus psyllid

UC Riverside researchers released a natural enemy of a bug that has been infesting citrus trees throughout California in hopes of protecting the state's $1.1 billion citrus industry.

Researchers study Pacific fishers, want your socks

UC Berkeley scientists are looking for donations of used socks to help them study a rare mammal.

Cockrell's bumblebee seen for the first time since 1956

Scientists from UC Riverside recently rediscovered the rarest species of bumblebee in the U.S., last seen 55 years ago living in the White Mountains of south-central New Mexico.

UC gets 4,584-acre forestland donation

A land donation will allow UC to nearly double its research forests, conserving a swath of the Northern California watershed and offering academics an expanded laboratory to explore forest ecosystems.

Climate change has vintners rethinking grapes

A UC Davis grape breeder says some grapes would do better in warmer temperatures, but growing and marketing new varieties is a big investment.

Tool clears the air on cloud simulations

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists and international collaborators have developed a new tool that will help scientists better represent the clouds observed in the sky in climate models.

Climate change could mean cloudy future for Lake Tahoe

UC Davis researchers are hot on the trail of an invasive species that may be threatening the lake.

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