All University of California San Diego articles
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NewsScientists report the first use of CRISPR activation to treat a cardiac disease in mice
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that CRISPR-based gene activation (CRISPRa) can be used to treat genetic heart disease in vivo. The study paves the way for novel targeted therapies for patients with genetic cardiac disorders.
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NewsCan a healthy gut microbiome help prevent childhood stunting?
Researchers find gut microbiome turnover in children is linked to poor growth outcomes, pointing to microbiome-based diagnostics for malnutrition.
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NewsAlcohol opens the floodgates for bad bacteria
Scientists have found that chronic alcohol use impairs the production of a key cellular signaling protein that helps keep gut bacteria within the gut. Without this guardrail in place, bacteria from the gut can more easily migrate to the liver, exacerbating liver damage caused by alcohol.
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NewsA microbial DNA signature differentiates two types of cancer in the liver
Researchers have identified a microbial DNA signature in blood plasma that reliably differentiates primary liver cancer from colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver (metastatic colorectal cancer).
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NewsEngineers take a closer look at how a plant virus primes the immune system to fight cancer
Scientists took a closer look at how the cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), unlike other plant viruses, is uniquely effective at activating the body’s immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
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NewsStealth genetic switch in mosquitoes halts malaria spread
Biologists have created a CRISPR-based gene-editing system that changes a single molecule within mosquitoes, stopping the malaria-parasite transmission process. Genetically altered mosquitoes are still able to bite those with malaria, but the parasites can no longer be spread to other people.
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NewsTracking microbial rhythms reveals new target for treating metabolic diseases
Researchers harness the benefits of time-restricted feeding on the gut microbiome — with the ultimate goal of developing new therapies for obesity, diabetes and related diseases.
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NewsScientists develop an ink that boosts coral reef settlement by 20 times
With coral reefs in crisis due to climate change, scientists have engineered a bio-ink that could help promote coral larvae settlement and restore these underwater ecosystems before it’s too late.
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NewsBat virus evolution suggests wildlife trade sparked COVID-19 virus emergence in humans
The ancestor of the virus that causes COVID-19 left its point of origin in Western China or Northern Laos just several years before the disease first emerged in humans up to 2,700 kilometers away in Central China, suggesting the wildlife trade played a role.
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NewsElectricity-generating bacteria may power future innovations
Scientists have discovered how certain bacteria breathe by generating electricity, using a natural process that pushes electrons into their surroundings instead of breathing on oxygen.
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NewsBacteria deployed as living test tubes to study human gene mutations
Bioengineers have developed a new simple approach to rapidly check on human gene changes and also screen chemicals as potential drugs by turning everyday bacteria into living test tubes.
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NewsVirus infects cells with a protective cloaking mechanism
The discovery of a jumbo phage’s stealth compartment could be leveraged to engineer new therapies to treat antibacterial-resistant infections.
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NewsScientists discover protein key to bacteria’s survival in extreme environments
A new discovery sheds light on how certain bacteria – including strains that cause food poisoning and anthrax – form spores for survival.
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NewsThe hidden battle in your gut: How one bacterium outsmarts its rivals
Scientists have undertaken a deep dive into the inner workings of the ‘microbial arms race’ in your gut, revealing an elegant strategy that gut microbes use to stay a step ahead of their neighbors.
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NewsAI accelerates the search for new tuberculosis drug targets
A novel biotechnology was developed to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) as a high-throughput way to identify more effective antimicrobial candidates to treat the multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and understand their underlying modes of action.
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NewsNIH awards $20.6 million grant to establish Human Virome Characterization Center at UCLA
NIH has awarded a $20.6 million grant over five years to establish one of five Human Virome Characterization Centers to advance understanding of the virome’s role in human health and disease across the oral-gut-brain axis.
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NewsNew paper creates roadmap for the next generation of bioelectronic medicine
A new paper offers a roadmap to the future of bioelectronic medicine — which makes use of electrical signals instead of drugs to diagnose and treat disease.
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NewsMicrobial cell factories may help get to the root of understudied plant molecules
A team of researchers has developed a method to produce a special class of plant hormones, known as strigolactones, at unprecedented levels using microbial cell factories.
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NewsScientists uncover key step in how diazotrophs ‘fix’ nitrogen
There are only two ways of fixing nitrogen, one industrial and one biological. To better understand a key component of the biological process, researchers took a multi-pronged approach.
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NewsUC San Diego to lead data hub of CDC-funded pandemic preparedness network
The CHARM Network will leverage expertise from across the country to help the nation better prepare for respiratory virus outbreaks.