Algae-gene-boosted crop plants grow better by using more light

UCR bioengineer Tingting Xiang and chemical engineer Robert Jinkerson discovered the gene that enables marine algae to produce a unique type of chlorophyll. Then they successfully implanted this gene in a land plant, paving the way for better crop yields on less land. 
New Atlas | March 7, 2024

How lightning on exoplanets could make it harder to find alien life

Lightning appears to us as a bright flash, usually during a big rainstorm, and it’s caused by electricity in the atmosphere discharging between clouds or to the ground. It also “influences the chemistry of planetary atmospheres, including, as we all know, on Earth,” explains UCR astrobiologist Edward Schwieterman.

How the gene-editing technology CRISPR is changing tomatoes, grapes and cattle

Mark Hoddle and UCR's Center for Invasive Species Research are commended for the work they're doing to mitigate glassy-winged sharpshooters. These pests are costing California vineyards more than $100 million a year.
KCRW FM | March 1, 2024

AI is taking water from the desert

UCR research was included in a story in the Atlantic on water consumption and AI.
The Atlantic | March 1, 2024

Newly discovered roundworm species could help limit pesticide use

UCR nematology professor Adler Dillman's laboratory discovered a beneficial new species of tiny worm that could serve as an alternative to pesticides. 
ABC10 News San Diego | February 27, 2024

First Great White Shark newborn possibly captured on camera

Phillip Sternes, a UCR graduate student, and his photographer friend, Carlos Gauna, have become the first two people to document a newborn Great White shark in the wild.
ABC10 News San Diego | February 27, 2024

Queer Catholic Wedding in San Diego

Kori K. R. Pacyniak, doctoral student, teaching assistant, and associate instructor with UCR’s Department for the Study of Religion and Gender and Sexuality Studies Department spoke with Love Inc. regarding an announcement by the Vatican that seems to be an attempt to welcome the LGBTQ+ community.
Love Inc. | February 21, 2024

Students panic after new financial aid application blocks them: ‘I don’t know who to call’

CalMatters' story about a college financial aid glitch affecting the children of immigrants quotes Jose Aguilar, UCR's financial aid director.
Cal Matters | February 20, 2024

Another Big Question About AI: Its Carbon Footprint

Mother Jones quotes Shaolei Ren, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, in a story about AI's carbon footprint.
Mother Jones | February 19, 2024

UC Riverside PRIME Supports Women, Diversity and Cultural Competency in Healthcare

Diversifying the healthcare workforce: Cheyenne Page and Damola Adeyemo are first-year medical students enrolled in UCR’s Program in Medical Education (PRIME), designed to train future doctors to specifically serve the Inland Empire’s African, Black, and Caribbean communities.
Black Voice News | February 18, 2024

How To Know If Applied Behavior Analysis Or Alternative Treatments Are Best For Your Child With Autism

An LAist story about the use of Applied Behavior Analysis for autism quotes School of Education autism expert Jan Blacher.
LAist | February 17, 2024

Want To Have A Say In The Future Of LA’s Trees? Here’s How

In a story about Southern California "urban forests," LAist references a study by UCR's Dion Kucera and Darrel Jenerette that shows the protective effect of income from climate change has eroded in the past 40 years.
LAist | February 14, 2024

New hard-to-kill bed bug species is invading the US, experts say

Chow-Yang Lee, UCR entomologist, said most bed bug control products were developed for the common bed bug, with the assumption that they would also work on the tropical bed bug. However, biological differences between the species are being discovered that have implications for the management of [the tropical bed bug.
Daily Mail | February 12, 2024

A Mushroom Grew in a Strange Place: The Side of a Frog

A paper about a mushroom spotted growing on a frog in India is making waves. However, Sydney Glassman, a UCR fungal ecologist, isn’t convinced that the growth is a mushroom. Further evidence — obtaining a genetic sample or seeing the gills and spore color — is needed to make an identification, she said.
The New York Times | February 12, 2024

Scientists Discover 'Fascinating' Worm That Can Replace Pesticides

UCR nematologist Adler Dillman's laboratory discovers a new species of tiny worm, a nematode, that can kill insects. Potentially it could be used to control crop pests in places that currently rely on pesticides. 
Newsweek | February 12, 2024

Mosquito Season Isn't Here Yet, But Don't Be Surprised If You Spot A Stray One

It's still too early in the year for most mosquito species to thrive, despite all the recent record-setting rain that the pesky insects thrive on. However, UC Riverside biologist Anandasankar Ray said he couldn't rule out the possibility that some mosquitoes are using the wet weather to breed. He offered tips to keep them away when the season fully begins in March. 
LAist / KPCC 89.3 FM | February 10, 2024

Lithium extraction project using Colorado River worries Utah residents who rely on its water

A plan to extract lithium — the lustrous, white metal used in electric vehicle batteries — is adding to an anxiety familiar in the arid American West: how the project could affect water from the Colorado River. But geologists and Earth scientists including UCR geologist Michael McKibben, said it’s unclear how water-intensive direct lithium extraction really is.
Associated Press | February 8, 2024

Lakebed dust is a worry in Utah. For California’s Salton Sea, it’s a full-blown problem

Hay bales are appearing in large numbers around the Salton Sea. Charlie Diamond, a researcher with the Salton Sea Task Force at UCR, said it’s a “dust suppression project” aimed to “break up the flow of air right at the ground level.” The goal, Diamond said, is for the hay bales to “suppress the dust production or emission," which is causing serious respiratory distress for area residents. 
KSL TV 5 Utah | February 8, 2024

A Piece of Science Fiction Literary History Comes to the Antiquarian Book Fair

Phoenix Alexander, Jay Kay and Doris Klein, science fiction librarian speak to KQED about the Eaton Collection’s newest acquisition, the original cover illustration of Le Guin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness.”  
KQED | February 8, 2024

The good news, bad news on California’s water supplies, drought after record rainfall

Water experts say conditions from recent storms haven’t been ideal for bolstering the state’s water supply. That’s because so much rain fell so quickly that agencies controlling dams and reservoirs have to prioritize flood management over water recovery. That means releasing lots of water into the ocean. Agency efforts to capture more stormwater in storage and groundwater recharge basins have improved in recent years, said Medhi Nemati, an environmental policy professor at UCR who studies water infrastructure. But when parts of Los Angeles get 75% of their annual rainfall in just two days, Nemati said there’s only so much water agencies can do to keep up.
East Bay Times | February 7, 2024