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Consisting of 22 million acres, alfalfa is the fourth largest crop produced in the United States. Like most crops, there is an ongoing battle between genetically engineered producers and organic producers of alfalfa.
However, a recent study conducted by UC Davis plant scientists suggests that gene flow between GE alfalfa and organic alfalfa can be minimized.
Editor's note: Nancy Hudson, the assistant program director of the UC Davis nutrition department, has had the chance to visit 72 different countries to pursue her professional and recreational interests. She recently sat down with The California Aggie to discuss her travels, her career in dietetics and more.
Today
"Chemical Communications Between Plants, Leafminers, and Parasites"
Le Kang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
122 Briggs, 12:10 to 1 p.m.
Sponsored by the department of entomology
Older blood found to increase infections in hospitalized patients
A recent study showed that hospitalized patients who received blood that was more than a month old were three times more likely to develop infections than those who received fresher blood.
Once upon a time, it placed fear in the hearts of many and killed 20 million people in less than a year. Now, one shot every year hopefully prevents this outbreak from ever occurring again. As flu season begins, so does the distribution of vaccines.
California's housing market slump may be breeding stress and discontent, but a new study shows that the ongoing foreclosure crisis may also breed disease.
According to researchers at UC Davis and the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District, a rise in the number of neglected pools associated with abandoned homes in Bakersfield coincided with the city's first West Nile Virus epidemic, which was also the largest outbreak of the disease in California last year.
Today
"Genetic and Hormonal Regulation of Seed Dormancy"Kent Bradford, professor and director - Seed Biotechnology Center3001 Plant and Environmental Sciences, noon to 1p.m.Sponsored by Plant Sciences
"Exploring the Genetic and Chemical Basis of Argentine Ant Behavior"Neil Tsutsui, Environmental Science, Policy and Management UC Berkeley122 Briggs, 12:10 to 1 p.m.Sponsored by Entomology
Sugar in common foods linked to E. coli
A type of sugar common in food has been found to create potential for E. coli to invade human bodies.
A study published on Oct. 29 showed that food such as red meat and dairy products contain sugar molecules that are not naturally produced in humans. Toxins from E. coli may bind to the sugars and trigger a pathway to causing diseases.
Everybody loves a California Poppy - or as Shannon Still likes to call them, Eschscholzia Californica. No one quite admires the flower more than Still, who is a TA for a plant anatomy course and is a graduate student in plant biology. His love for poppies extends all the way to the Mojave Desert, where he thinks he may have discovered a new species of poppy.
Researchers have developed a new technique to study blood cell behavior in small blood vessels, highlighting its efficacy for determining how blood cells regulate blood pressure, and ways in which the process may be altered by diet and disease. The study was conducted by researchers at Harvard University, including William Ristenpart, who is now a professor in the departments of food science and technology and chemical engineering and material science at UC Davis.
Dr. Bob Rice, a professor in the environmental toxicology department, has a knack for growing things. He specializes in culturing and studying epidermal cells, bringing us closer to an understanding of skin cancer and other diseases.
When did you start working at UC Davis?
Gosh, [almost] 20 years ago … 1989, around Labor Day.
Today
"Poverty and Obesity -- The Challenge in Accessing Healthy Foods Among The Poorest"
Diana Cassady
Mee Room, Memorial Union, noon to 1 p.m.
Sponsored by Campus Community Relations, Public Health Sciences
Scientists erase bad memories from brains of mice
Scientists have discovered a treatment that erases traumatic memories from the brains of mice.
According to the study, scientists manipulated the brains to overproduce an enzyme that could erase certain memories while keeping others intact.
The UC Davis Cancer Center recently announced the launch of the new Cancer Care Network geared to provide quality treatment to patients in community-based areas in Northern and Central California.
Planning for the network began in 2000 when UC Davis joined with two local California health care organizations in Merced and Marysville to develop cancer programs, said Scott Christensen, UC Davis associate professor of hematology and oncology and the future medical director of the new network.
Leslie Lyons is no crazy cat lady, although cats are her main focus here at UC Davis. She researches everything feline - from their genes to the little pieces of fur they may leave behind at the scene of a crime.
Recently, Lyons and other UC Davis veterinarians assisted in engineering a glow-in-the-dark cloned cat. If that's not enough to make you purr, her interview with The California Aggie just might.
©2021, ASUCD. Designed by Creative Media.