College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Latest News

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Doubling down on cancer-causing genes

NIH grant of $2.2 million could help researchers target two oncogenes, potentially leading to therapies for melanoma, lung cancer, and other tumors
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Health
canisters of oil

America’s most widely consumed oil causes genetic changes in the brain

New UC Riverside research shows soybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but could also affect neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression.
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Research identifies possible on/off switch for plant growth

New research from UC Riverside identifies a protein that controls plant growth — good news for an era in which crops can get crushed by climate change.
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Two projects receive NIH grant for breast cancer research

UC Riverside research is supported by a four-year grant worth more than $1.2 million
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology, Health

Vaping lung injury symptoms have been reported online for at least seven years

UC Riverside research used internet data mining to monitor health effects reported by electronic cigarette users over time
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology, Health

Scientists develop new method to detect oxygen on exoplanets

UC Riverside scientists have developed a new method for detecting oxygen in exoplanet atmospheres that may accelerate the search for life.
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

UCR investigates some of the nation’s worst nitrogen pollution

Nitrogen pollution, largely from automobile exhaust, can reduce drinking water quality and make air difficult to breathe. Thanks to a $1.1 million grant, UC Riverside scientists will soon understand how much nitrogen dry ecosystems in Southern California can absorb before they produce negative effects. UCR soil scientists (left to right)...
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Simple experiment explains magnetic resonance

UC Riverside physics students design a table-top experiment for the classroom
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology

Gamma-ray laser moves a step closer to reality

Calculations by UC Riverside’s Allen Mills predict metastable positronium bubbles in liquid helium
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology
A green laser light going through the silicon quantum dots, and the silicon quantum dots re-emitting blue light (i.e. upconversion).

Making higher-energy light to fight cancer

Researchers use nontoxic silicon nanocrystals to convert low-energy photons into high-energy ones, bringing scientists closer to developing photodynamic treatments for cancer
By Holly Ober | | Science / Technology
Seismograph recording

Earthquakes, chickens, and bugs, oh my!

New big data algorithms improve earthquake detection; monitor livestock health and agricultural pests
By Holly Ober | | Science / Technology
Glasses on a book

UCR scientists rank among world’s most influential scholars

The world’s most influential scientific researchers in 2019 include 10 current UCR scholars. In its annual list, Clarivate Analytics names the most highly cited researchers — those whose work was most often referenced by other scientific research papers for the preceding decade in 21 fields across the sciences and social...
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology
UCR seismologist Abhijit Ghosh in Nepal

The thrust of the problem

A new understanding of a fault that caused a deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake can help scientists better predict where and when the next big one will hit. For decades, scientists have debated the structure of the Main Himalayan Thrust — the fault responsible for a 2015 earthquake that killed nearly...
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Scientists crack structure of a novel enzyme linked to cell growth and cancer

UC Riverside-led study could lead to the development of drugs that target liver and other cancers
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology, Health

The most spectacular celestial vision you’ll never see

Contrary to previous thought, a gigantic planet in wild orbit does not preclude the presence of an Earth-like planet in the same solar system – or life on that planet. What’s more, the view from that Earth-like planet as its giant neighbor moves past would be unlike anything it is...
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

New research finding gives valleytronics a boost

UC Riverside-led team overcomes a stumbling block in this relatively new technology
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology
Physicist Igor Barsukov is an assistant professor at UC Riverside.

Small magnets reveal big secrets

Work by international research team could have wide-ranging impact on information technology applications
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology
OP treated plant

Game changer: New chemical keeps plants plump

A UC Riverside-led team has created a chemical to help plants hold onto water, which could stem the tide of massive annual crop losses from drought and help farmers grow food despite a changing climate. “Drought is the No. 1 cause, closely tied with flooding, of annual crop failures worldwide,”...
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology

Scientists unpack how taste neurons control food intake

UC Riverside-led research on fruit fly could lead to better understanding of how taste information is coded in the brain
By Iqbal Pittalwala | | Science / Technology
Cellular vision of a rice root - the green globes are nuclei

UC Riverside helps secure the future of food

If you’re eating fruits, nuts, grains, or vegetables in a few years, you’ll likely owe a debt of gratitude to UC Riverside. The university has created a program to transition today’s undergraduates into professional scientists solving tomorrow’s farming challenges. The program, called Plants-3D, will train students to discover, design, and...
By Jules Bernstein | | Science / Technology
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