Interdisciplinary
Research
We are a diverse and multidisciplinary research institute that fosters collaboration between engineering, physical sciences, biological sciences, and social sciences, with the goal of driving impactful change.
Collaboration
We have members and collaborators throughout academia and industry. We work with clinicians, marine and fishery researchers, conservationists, public health officials, and others to bring genomics data, tools, and biotech to some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Mentorship
Training the next generation of scientists is a vital part of what we do. Learn about our educational programs and our efforts to bring experiential learning to students from secondary to graduate school.
Impact Highlight
UCSC begins DNA study to save endangered brown bears
“If we can… essentially build a 23andMe for bears, we can figure out where bears come from, what is their genetic ancestry. And if we’re thinking about conservation action, like management, we know where populations should be moved from and to.”
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How optogenetics can put the brakes on epilepsy seizures
In what could one day become a new treatment for epilepsy, researchers at UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Berkeley have used pulses of light to prevent seizure-like activity in neurons. The researchers used brain tissue that had been removed from epilepsy patients as part of their treatment.
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$7.5 million awarded to UC Santa Cruz to support leadership in salmon-recovery science
UC Santa Cruz has received nearly $7.5 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to vault scientific research on imperiled Pacific salmon populations into one of the nation’s most powerful collaborations between the agency and academia to save the vital species.
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Bioluminescent proteins made from scratch enable non-invasive, multi-functional biological imaging
Bioluminescence is the natural chemical process of light creation in some living creatures that makes fireflies flicker and some jellyfish glow. Scientists have long been interested in borrowing the secrets of these animals’ light-producing genes to create similar effects in vertebrates, for a variety of biomedical applications.
Video Highlights
A Lifetime of Achievement in Genomics
Completing a Human Genome
Stoping Extinction Through Studying Ancient DNA