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Scientists make astonishing discovery about plants at the molecular level — here's how it could help solve major problems in the medical field

MSN / The Cool Down | February 16, 2025
Katie Dehesh, UCR molecular biochemist, recently discovered a chemical that plants produce that could help prevent infections in medical patients. Biofilm is a slimy bacterial layer that clings to surfaces. Dehesh's team discovered a compound produced by plants that prevents biofilm formation
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UCR in the News

Americans may have had bird flu and not even know it, new study suggests

USA Today | February 13, 2025
Elizabeth Jacobs, internal medicine physician and chair of the internal medicine department at the University of California, Riverside Health, on concerns about the virus spreading in humans undetected.
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UCR in the News

NIH funding cuts could threaten valuable research, Southern California institutions say

The Press Enterprise | February 11, 2025
Drs. Meera Nair and Declan McCole discuss how NIH cuts could impact their work.
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UCR in the News

Understanding the environmental impact of AI

Iowa Public Radio | February 7, 2025
Shaolei Ren, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCR, discusses the challenges of dealing with AI's vast and growing energy footprint and water usage, as well as ways that artificial intelligence can be used to benefit the environment.
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UCR in the News

How scientists rushed to make L.A.’s actual air quality available on your phone

Fast Company | January 29, 2025
Roya Bahreini, atmospheric science professor, is co-PI of a project making detailed, real-time air measurements free and available to the public. This kind of data is not available through typical air quality monitors people have on their phones.
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UCR in the News

The good, bad and ugly truths about LA tumbleweeds and their role in fires

LAist / KPCC 89.3 FM | January 26, 2025
UCR invasive species expert Mark Hoddle comments on the proliferation of invasive Russian thistle plants in California, better known as tumbleweeds. When the plants dry out and blow across the landscape they can increase the severity of wildfires. 
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UCR in the News

‘Severance,’ ‘The Substance’ and our increasingly splintered selves

The New York Times | January 17, 2025
UCR philosophy professor Eric Schwitzgebel weighs in on the question posed by two pop culture phenomena of the moment: the TV series "Severance," and the movie "The Substance." What makes you "you"?
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UCR in the News

ChatGPT isn't responsible for the Los Angeles fires, but it does use a crazy amount of water

MSN / Mashable | January 10, 2025
Article quotes a recent study by The Washington Post and UCR that found a 100-word email generated by ChatGPT requires roughly the equivalent of a bottle of water, or 519 milliliters. Additionally, the article cites a 2023 UCR study estimating AI could consume between 4.2 and 6.6 billion cubic meters of water in 2027, which is more than the annual water withdrawal of half of the UK.
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