Category: News
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UCSC scholars join researchers statewide on a massive genomic study of California’s biodiversity
The state-funded genomics project aims to be a lasting resource for shaping conservation policy Emily Cerf | UCSC | July 6, 2022 When UC Santa Cruz postdoctoral scholar Merly Escalona assembled the first-ever reference genome for the Stephen Colbert Trapdoor Spider, she was shocked by the dataset’s unexpectedly large size. For a small invertebrate, this…
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ASPIRE program launches to aid conservation in a changing climate
During the most severe megadrought in a millennium, a new program out of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute involves students in an effort to measure changes in biodiversity and ultimately prevent them.
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Polar bears in Southeast Greenland shed light on the species’ future in a warming Arctic
The most genetically isolated population of polar bears on the planet, they have limited access to sea ice and use ice from Greenland’s glaciers to survive Hannah Hickey | UCSC | June 16, 2022 Scientists have documented a previously unknown subpopulation of polar bears living in Southeast Greenland. The polar bears survive with limited access…
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The team behind a tree of 10 million Covid sequences
10 million sequences of COVID-19’s genomic code have now been organized into a phylogenetic tree in the UC Santa Cruz SARS-CoV-2 Browser, which is the largest tree of genomic sequences of a single species ever assembled. This accomplishment is impressive for both the computer engineering feat of processing such a massive amount of data and…
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100,000-year-old polar bear genome reveals ancient hybridization with brown bears
Study finds all brown bears today have some polar bear ancestry due to genetic admixture that occurred during a warm interglacial period more than 100,000 years ago
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The complete sequence of a human genome
Nurk, S., Koren, S., Rhie, A., Rautiainen, M., Bzikadze, A. V., Mikheenko, A., Vollger, M. R., Altemose, N., Uralsky, L., Gershman, A., Aganezov, S., Hoyt, S. J., Diekhans, M., Logsdon, G. A., Alonge, M., Antonarakis, S. E., Borchers, M., Bouffard, G. G., Brooks, S. Y., … Phillippy, A. M. (2022). The complete sequence of a…
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How a bot beamed from California to Japan may prevent cancer patients from losing their breasts unnecessarily
Global Alliance for Genomics and Health | EurekAlert! | May 3, 2022 Too many women are getting unnecessary mastectomies and other invasive procedures because of a knowledge gap about differences in cancer genes. A new study offers a path to closing the gap. Nearly a decade ago, Angelina Jolie made famous that preventative mastectomies can help women…
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UC Santa Cruz DNA Day celebration brings excitement and entertainment to campus
Olayemi Akintunde | UCSC | April 22, 2022 Last Friday, the Genomics Institute hosted our annual celebration of National DNA Day at the UC Santa Cruz Baskin Engineering courtyard. The fun and frivolity of DNA DAY 2022 did not skip a beat even though it has been two years since the event was held in-person.…
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UCSC and Amazon Web Services work to accelerate genomics research
As AWS expands their products for genomics research, UCSC is a key partner in making complex analysis more accessible to scientists.
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Genomics Institute tool becomes primary method to identify lineages of COVID-19 worldwide
Widespread use of the “UShER” tool will enable public health officials to more accurately identify and track the virus’s variants Emily Cerf | UCSC | April 4, 2022 As COVID-19 continues to mutate, software developed and maintained at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Genomics Institute will now be at the core of the primary…
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First complete, gapless sequence of a human genome reveals hidden regions
Parts of the human genome now available to study for the first time are important for understanding genetic diseases, human diversity, and evolution Tim Stephens | UCSC | March 31, 2022 The first truly complete sequence of a human genome, covering each chromosome from end to end with no gaps and unprecedented accuracy, is now…
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UCSC contributes to Guinness World Record for fastest sequencing
Isha Salian | NVIDIA | February 18, 2022 Guinness World Records this week presented a Stanford University-led research team with the first record for fastest DNA sequencing technique — a benchmark set using a workflow sped up by AI and accelerated computing. Achieved in five hours and two minutes, the DNA sequencing record can allow…