News
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UCSC joins as founding member of new Action Collaborative to improve pathways for women of color in tech education and careers
Genomics Institute affiliate Sri Kurniawan, Professor of Computational Media at the Baskin School of Engineering, is serving as UCSC’s senior faculty lead for this effort. As a founding member of the Action Collaborative, UCSC has already committed to four years of membership.
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The genes that made us truly human may also make us ill
The changes in our genes since our ancestors and apes evolved from a common ancestor helped us develop bigger brains and upright walking. But did they also have a downside?
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Cloud technologies bring organoids into undergraduate classrooms for the first time
Cortical organoids — miniature models of brain tissue grown from stem cells — are becoming increasingly relevant in biotechnology for their usefulness in drug discovery, the study of infectious disease, and more. But the tiny organ models are very tricky to grow and maintain in the lab, meaning many students majoring in biotech-related fields enter…
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Indigenous scientists awarded $9M to establish the first RADx Tribal data repository that upholds Indigenous data sovereignty
Today, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced $9 million in funding for an Indigenous Data Repository led by Native scientists to help improve health in tribal communities and for all Indigenous Peoples. UCSC Genomics Institute Assistant Researcher Ann Mc Cartney will work alongside the Indigenous leaders on this project.
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UCSC’s 2023 iGEM team grabs fourth consecutive gold medal and nomination for best software tool at international competition
A team of UC Santa Cruz students won a gold medal at the 2023 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Grand Jamboree, marking their fourth consecutive year of bringing home the prize, and were nominated as best software tool for the first time. The annual iGEM competition brings together student teams from around the world to…
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New eDNA Explorer provides a powerful new resource for conservation
CALeDNA, a UC-wide consortium project to document California’s biodiversity, has launched a prototype of their new eDNA Explorer. This open-source tool provides a powerful and easily accessible platform for sharing, exploring, and analyzing data from projects that use environmental DNA.
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Brain-inspired AI code library passes major milestone, new paper offers perspective on future of field
Four years ago, UC Santa Cruz’s Jason Eshraghian developed a Python library that combines neuroscience with artificial intelligence to create spiking neural networks, a machine learning method that takes inspiration from the brain’s ability to efficiently process data.
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Detecting Cancer Early by Measuring RNA in the Blood
Genomics Institute affiliate Daniel Kim explains how markers in RNA can help create new tests for early cancer detection. Read in Scientific American. “Early detection of cancer has been shown to save lives,” says Daniel Kim. “And so we really want to be able to diagnose it early, before it spreads to other parts of…
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Working to improve clarity for patients assessing their genetic breast cancer risk
“I would say there are 2,500 variants conservatively that we hope to be able to curate right off the bat based on these assessments,” Cline said. “For women who carry these variants, that means not carrying the uncertainty.”
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Smart Gateways into the Lab of the Future
The UC Santa Cruz Braingeneers are using cutting-edge smart technologies to streamline their research on human brain ogranoids and learn more about what makes humans unique. Listen to Deanna MacNeil from The Scientist’s podcast interview UCSC Braingeneers Sofie Salama and David Haussler about the smart technology behind growing brain organoids.
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Genome study reveals 30 years of Darwin’s finch evolution
An international team of researchers has released a landmark study on contemporary evolutionary change in natural populations. Their study uses one of the largest genomic datasets ever produced for a wild animal, comprising nearly 4,000 Darwin’s finches, to reveal the genetic basis of adaptation in this iconic group.
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Biotech founder and hero of the Human Genome Project joins UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute as Executive Director
After an extensive national search, the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute has selected a bold new executive director to lead their next phase of expansion and innovation. Dr. Lauren Linton is a scientist, entrepreneur, and executive with experience leading institutions in genomics, pharmaceutical and diagnostic development, biotechnology, entrepreneurship, and innovation.