News
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UCSC Genome Browser selected to first-ever Global Core Biodata Resource List
The Global Core Biodata Resources list represents a collection of 37 open-source resources whose long-term funding and sustainability is critical to life science and biomedical research worldwide. The Browser was chosen as a vital tool for researchers in the biosciences.
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Long-standing genomic mystery about the origins of introns explained in new study
UCSC scientists point to introners as the source of the vast majority of introns, a source of molecular complexity unique to eukaryotes Emily Cerf | UCSC | November 29, 2022 One of the most long-standing, fundamental mysteries of biology surrounds the poorly understood origins of introns. Introns are segments of noncoding DNA that must be…
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Modular automated microfluidic cell culture platform reduces glycolytic stress in cerebral cortex organoids
Time line chart of the human cerebral organoid generation protocol over the span of 18 days Abstract Organ-on-a-chip systems combine microfluidics, cell biology, and tissue engineering to culture 3D organ-specific in vitro models that recapitulate the biology and physiology of their in vivo counterparts. Here, we have developed a multiplex platform that automates the culture…
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UCSC Genome Browser 2023 Update, Future Plans
This coming year represents the first in our new 5-year planning cycle. A major goal during this time is evaluation and adoption of a pangenome graph data format.
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Braingeneers develop novel method to automate the growth of brain tissue organoids on a chip
The new system can increase reproducibility in cerebral organoid research and shows promise for lowering levels of cellular stress Emily Cerf | UCSC | November 28, 2022 A team of engineers at UC Santa Cruz has developed a new method for remote automation of the growth of cerebral organoids – miniature, three-dimensional models of brain…
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Remote-controlled microscopes bring complex biology education to students worldwide
UC Santa Cruz researchers have developed a method for using remote-controlled, internet-connected microscopes to enable students anywhere in the world to participate in designing and carrying out biology experiments, increasing access to project-based learning in STEM.
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Closing cell—and academic—gaps
UCSC’s Genomics Institute opens up the world of bioinformatics and programming to students Bayan Parrenas Shimizu | UCSC | November 04, 2022 Launched just last year, UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institutes summer research programs are already seeing unparalleled success. Roman Reggiardo, Biomolecular Engineering and Mathematics Program Ph.D. candidate and Bioinformatics Summer Bridge instructor, witnessed this…
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Postdoctoberfest Spotlight: Jean Monlong
It is Postdoctoberfest! This week, we are celebrating the vital contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to UC Santa Cruz, and to the advancement of science more broadly. This Postdoctober, we are spotlighting Jean Monlong, who has been a postdoc with the Genomics Institute since 2018. His research in Benedict Paten’s lab is part of a…
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Semi-automated assembly of high-quality diploid human reference genomes
Abstract The current human reference genome, GRCh38, represents over 20 years of effort to generate a high-quality assembly, which has benefitted society1,2. However, it still has many gaps and errors, and does not represent a biological genome as it is a blend of multiple individuals3,4. Recently, a high-quality telomere-to-telomere reference, CHM13, was generated with the…
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Investigating bias in technology through Baskin Engineering’s anti-racism research fellowship
Melissa Weckerle | UCSC | October 14, 2022 Technology is vulnerable to bias. Recognizing the need for anti-racist technology that takes into consideration the perceptions and experiences of underrepresented populations, the UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering established the Fellowship for Anti-Racism Research (FARR) in 2021. Graduate students Roman Reggiardio and Milad Hakimshafaei are…
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Biomolecular engineering professor wins American Cancer Society award to develop technology for cancer early detection
Emily Cerf | UCSC | October 12, 2022 UC Santa Cruz Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Daniel Kim’s research centers around the mysteries of RNA “dark matter,” which is made from 75% of the three billion base pairs in the human genome, with the goal of discovering new RNA biomarkers for cancer early detection to…
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CALeDNA: Tracking biodiversity at the molecular level
Jen Elana Quick-Cleveland | ASBMBToday | October 12, 2022 An estimated 9 million kinds of plants, animals, protists and fungi live on Earth. Biodiversity loss is a major problem associated with human-made climate change. The current global rate of extinction is predicted to be nearly 100 times the baseline rate. But measuring those extinctions, or even accurately…