Science & Technology

Microbiologists analyzed swabs taken by astronauts, found similar microbes to houses on Earth Microbiologists from Project MERCCURI, a collaboration between SciStarter, Science Cheerleader and UC Davis, among other groups, sent swabs up to the International Space Station for astronauts to collect samples. The goal to increase public awareness of microbiology and research on the ISS […]

UC Davis Poultry Farm supplements chickens’ diets with black soldier fly larvae to boost nutrition, make farm more sustainable Since the world population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, food production will be a major challenge in the upcoming decades. Ongoing research at UC Davis is examining whether larvae can replace corn and […]

UC Davis primatologists study primates and predator interactions in a new way It is often very difficult for researchers to study animals without influencing their behavior. Lynne Isbell, a professor in the UC Davis anthropology department and Laura Bidner, a postdoctorate working with Isbell, came up with a simple solution to study predator and prey interaction: remove […]

Universal vaccine under development Every winter, healthcare providers and vulnerable populations are encouraged to receive a yearly vaccine for the flu, a disease caused by an influenza virus. The flu is highly contagious, spread through the air in droplets from sneezes and coughs or by direct contact with infected people. Previous pandemics have killed millions […]

About 1 percent of U.S. population suffers from Celiac disease, yet effects don’t receive much recognition outside afflicted community Synonymous with carbs, weight-gain, faulty metabolisms, and bad skin, gluten is often regarded as something to avoid in a modern, health-conscious society. According to a study from the NPD Group in 2013, 30 percent of American […]

Working group involves collaborators from universities across the country Imagine that one day, the electrical grids covering the earth malfunctioned. All technology powered by electricity went out, and it was impossible to access news sources and social media to find out what happened. What could cause this? This question and others are being tackled by […]

Use of driverless vehicles could reduce transport-related carbon dioxide emissions by over 80 percent in 2050 It’s predicted that by 2050, driverless cars will be a $7 trillion industry, meaning that they’ll potentially have a large impact on emissions and climate concerns. A recent report from UC Davis showed that driverless cars could reduce carbon […]

UC Davis Vet Med Center brought ill roping horse back to perfect health An American quarter horse is now in stable condition after ingesting a fatal neurotoxin. John, a champion roping horse, fell ill with botulism after eating a bad batch of grain. Prior to John, another horse in his herd died of the same […]

UC Davis moves toward goal of waste-free campus by 2020 It seems that a number of people fully embrace the zero waste trend. One woman dedicated herself to zero waste for four years and the amount of trash that she accrued filled only the space of a large peanut butter tub. Another person tried to […]

Only 24.4 percent of computer science majors are women There was a time when women were at the forefront of computer science. Many of the first programmers were women. Now, people learn about Alan Turing, creator of the Turing Machine, but forget about Ada Lovelace, the mathematician whose ideas about computing were so advanced it […]

Unattended brush pile source of deadly July accident at Antibodies, Inc. Five alpacas died at Antibodies, Inc., an immunochemistry products and services provider in Davis, over the summer due to oleander consumption. The final investigative report from the company was recently made available by Stop Animal Exploitation Now!. “We obtained the documents through the Freedom […]

Study shows that gelatin strengthens tendons, ligaments, bones Kale, acai, quinoa… and now Jell-O? After conducting research on how to strengthen connective tissues like tendons, cartilage, bones and ligaments, Keith Baar, a UC Davis professor in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, found that when it came to impacting tendon strength, gelatin outranked every […]