News

Jevgenij Raskatov, Creating a ripple in the chemistry field

August, 2024

Meet Professor Jevgenij Raskatov in our Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. One stream of his research is making molecular-level discoveries that aim to help drug makers produce better treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The other stream is materials research that may one day lead to the creation of more durable and effective synthetic materials that would improve applications ranging from drug delivery and diaper absorption to better moisturizing lotion.

Read about how those streams have converged to create a ripple effect in his field and for his University of California, Santa Cruz students: https://lnkd.in/g3Etucr5

Students across the region invited to help shape the future of semiconductors

July 12, 2024

This NSF-funded workshop focuses on materials and devices for brain-inspired computing and is part of the special NSF “Future of Semiconductor” program. This workshop aims to introduce fundamentals of materials and devices for brain-inspired computing to members of the general public who are interested in semiconducting technologies, and to engage the broader semiconducting research community in the Bay Area. This event will showcase student research and feature industry information, panel discussions and lectures by world-class scientists. 

Holger Schmidt awarded Innovator of the Year

April 17, 2024

Holger Schmidt, Distinguished Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering and Narinder Kapany Chair of Optoelectronics, received the award for his work on highly sensitive devices called optofluidic chips.

Xiao Wang Named Hellman Fellow

March 20th, 2024

Xiao was awarded the Hellman Fellowship for the 2024-25 academic year. The Society of Hellman Fellows is an endowed program at all ten University of California campuses that provides research funding to promising assistant professors who show capacity for great distinction in their chosen fields.

Hydrologist Margaret Zimmer wins NSF CAREER Award

June 16, 2021

Margaret Zimmer, assistant professor of Earth and planetary sciences, has received an award from the National Science Foundation to support her research on the role of Earth’s subsurface in regulating the water cycle.

Axions could be the fossil of the universe researchers have been waiting for

June 7, 2021

A new study suggests finding the hypothetical particles known as axions could mean finding out for the first time what happened in the universe a second after the Big Bang.

Ray Jara

June 4, 2021

Ray Jara liked science and was good at it, but he didn’t have college in mind until his freshman year of high school. A trip to Northern California with a college-readiness organization brought him to UC Santa Cruz. His concentration now is on photonics and electronic devices.

Legendary oceanography professor has made sea changes in students’ lives

May 19, 2021

Devoted professor and beloved mentor Gary Griggs has no plans to step down—or even slow down—after 53 years of teaching, advising, and advocating for the environment.

Ultrasensitive antigen test detects SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses

May 11, 2021

Novel chip-based diagnostic technology can detect individual viral antigens in nasal swab samples to identify the viruses that cause COVID-19 and flu with a single test.

New tools enable rapid analysis of coronavirus sequences and tracking of variants

May 10, 2021

Developed by the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, UShER allows researchers to quickly see how a new viral sequence is related to all other variants of SARS-CoV-2, crucial information for tracking transmission dynamics.

‘The only way society gets to reopen safely is if we are all vaccinated’

May 6, 2021

UC Santa Cruz COVID experts Rebecca DuBois, A. Marm Kilpatrick, and Susan Carpenter are urging all unvaccinated people to book an appointment to get their shots immediately, and follow CDC safety guidelines even after the vaccinations take effect.

Physics grad student awarded DOE support for research at national lab

May 3, 2021

Eli Nygren, a graduate student in physics at UCSC, is among 78 outstanding U.S. graduate students to receive support from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.

Project to read genomes of all 70,000 vertebrate species reports first discoveries

April 29, 2021

A bold project to read the complete genetic sequences of every known vertebrate species has reached its first milestone, publishing new methods and the first 25 high-quality genomes.

Physical and Biological Sciences Division honors three prominent alumni

April 28, 2021

PBSci Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize contributions to society by graduate and undergraduate alums.

Baked meteorites yield clues to planetary atmospheres

April 15, 2021

The gases released from meteorite samples heated in a high-temperature furnace can tell scientists about the initial composition of the atmospheres of rocky exoplanets.

Study warns of ‘oxygen false positives’ in search for signs of life on other planets

April 13, 2021

Oxygen in the atmosphere may not be an entirely reliable ‘biosignature,’ but there are ways to distinguish false positives from signs of life.

NASA selects two UCSC scientists to join Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter mission

April 8, 2021

Ian Garrick-Bethell and Mikhail Kreslavsky are among the nine participating scientists who will join the KPLO science team.

Marco Rolandi appointed faculty director of UCSC Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development

April 6, 2021

UC Santa Cruz has appointed Marco Rolandi, professor and chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering, to serve as faculty director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED).

Two UCSC research teams recognized for outstanding papers in PNAS

March 22, 2021

The Cozzarelli Prize recognizes selected papers as outstanding contributions to the scientific disciplines represented by the National Academy of Sciences.

Celestial heights and oceanic depths

March 11, 2021

Two of UC Santa Cruz’s most prominent trailblazers in science, astronomer Sandra Faber and alumna and former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan, spoke of risks, discoveries, and sexism in candid “fireside chat” during a Science and Engineering Library floor-naming event.

Low-temperature supercapacitors could power missions to moon and Mars

March 10, 2021

UCSC researchers developed 3D-printed porous carbon aerogels for electrodes in ultralow-temperature supercapacitors, which could reduce heating needs for future space and polar missions.

A little squid and its glowing bacteria yield new clues to symbiotic relationships

March 9, 2021

A small molecule produced by bioluminescent bacteria as they colonize the light organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid may play a key role in establishing the symbiosis.

Yuan Ping wins OpenEye award for outstanding junior faculty

March 3, 2021

The award from the American Chemical Society identifies junior stars in the area of computational chemistry.

Shiva Abbaszadeh wins Tracy Lynn Faber Memorial Award

March 3, 2021

The award from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging supports the advancement of women in medical imaging sciences.

Meteoric success

February 2, 2021

Planetary scientist Myriam Telus, a NASA Planetary Science Early Career Award winner, reflects on her journey to UC Santa Cruz to study meteorites: Discovering her passion, seeking out mentors, and finding inspiration in the courage of civil rights movement leaders.

In Memoriam: Claude F. Bernasconi (1939–2021)ow-temperature supercapacitors could power missions to moon and Mars

January 13, 2021

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is deeply saddened to announce that Distinguished Professor Claude F. Bernasconi passed away on January 4, 2021, from complications due to COVID-19.

Physicist Steven Ritz receives Outstanding Faculty Awardow-temperature supercapacitors could power missions to moon and Mars

January 11, 2021

Physics Professor Steven Ritz has received the 2019–20 Outstanding Faculty Award from the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences.

Two UCSC geophysicists honored by Royal Astronomical Society

January 8, 2021

Thorne Lay and Emily Brodsky, both professors of Earth and planetary sciences, are receiving the Gold Medal for Geophysics and the Price Medal, respectively.

Steven Ritz stepping down after 10 years as director of particle physics institute

December 21, 2020

Jason Nielsen, professor of physics, will take over as director of the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP) in the new year.

Coming full circle

December 16, 2020

Alumnus Darren Thompson, an accomplished chemist and student mentor, overcame a dark turn in his life with help from his determination, his Christian faith, and a UC Santa Cruz professor.

$3.7M NIH grant funds development of novel biosensor technology for diagnosing viral infections

December 16, 2020

Electrical engineer Ali Yanik is leading a team of infectious disease experts developing a low-cost, easy-to-use platform for diagnosing viral infections in point-of-care settings.

UCSC expands COVID-19 testing during surge to support community needs

December 15, 2020

A gift from Bud and Rebecca Colligan will expand testing capacity and help fund a new, dedicated laboratory space to house the diagnostic lab in the Genomics Institute’s facilities at the Westside Research Park.

New cryo-electron microscopy facility a boon for UCSC structural biologists

December 14, 2020

With major funding from NIH, researchers at UC Santa Cruz have acquired powerful imaging tools for studying the structures of biomolecules and their roles in disease.

New serological assay provides rapid, accurate testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies

December 10, 2020

Using optical biosensor technology, the test provides quantitative measurements of antibodies in blood plasma in less than 20 minutes.

Two UCSC engineers elected IEEE Fellows

December 8, 2020

Leila Parsa, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Lise Getoor, professor of computer science and engineering, have been elected Fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Direct visualization of quantum dots reveals shape of quantum wave function

November 23, 2020

UCSC researchers used a scanning tunneling microscope to visualize quantum dots in bilayer graphene, an important step toward quantum information technologies.

Materials theorist Yuan Ping wins grant from Air Force Young Investigator Program

November 19, 2020

Ping’s research on spin dynamics in two-dimensional materials has applications for spintronics and quantum information technologies.

Geologist David Rubin elected fellow of the American Geophysical Union

November 18, 2020

David Rubin, a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, has been elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union.

Approval of Proposition 14 boosts funding for stem cell agency

November 17, 2020

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has provided major funding for research and training at UC Santa Cruz since its creation in 2004.

UC Santa Cruz leads interdisciplinary consortium for astrobiology research

November 16, 2020

With funding from NASA, the UCSC-led team will lay the foundation for detecting the signatures of life in the atmospheres of other planets.

New genome alignment tool empowers large-scale studies of vertebrate evolution

November 11, 2020

Important new studies of the evolution of birds and mammals relied on Progressive Cactus, a genome alignment tool developed at the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute.

Radioactive elements may be crucial to the habitability of rocky planets

November 10, 2020

Earth-size planets can have varying amounts of radioactive elements, which generate internal heat that drives a planet’s geological activity and magnetism.

Novel technique spotlights neuronal uptake of amyloid beta in Alzheimer’s disease

November 2, 2020

Study finds a short section of the amyloid beta protein is recognized by the cellular prion protein, which mediates its uptake into neurons and subsequent toxicity.

Wildfire brings destruction and opportunity to researcher’s field site

November 2, 2020

Hydrologist Margaret Zimmer has received NSF funding to study the impact of wildfire on the site where she has been studying how water moves through the landscape.

UC Santa Cruz leads interdisciplinary consortium for astrobiology research

November 16, 2020

With funding from NASA, the UCSC-led team will lay the foundation for detecting the signatures of life in the atmospheres of other planets.

New genome alignment tool empowers large-scale studies of vertebrate evolution

November 11, 2020

Important new studies of the evolution of birds and mammals relied on Progressive Cactus, a genome alignment tool developed at the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute.

Radioactive elements may be crucial to the habitability of rocky planets

November 10, 2020

Earth-size planets can have varying amounts of radioactive elements, which generate internal heat that drives a planet’s geological activity and magnetism.

Novel technique spotlights neuronal uptake of amyloid beta in Alzheimer’s disease

November 2, 2020

Study finds a short section of the amyloid beta protein is recognized by the cellular prion protein, which mediates its uptake into neurons and subsequent toxicity.

Wildfire brings destruction and opportunity to researcher’s field site

November 2, 2020

Hydrologist Margaret Zimmer has received NSF funding to study the impact of wildfire on the site where she has been studying how water moves through the landscape.

Scientists discover how a common mutation leads to ‘night owl’ sleep disorder

October 26, 2020

A small change in a key component of our biological clocks lengthens the clock period, causing people to stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning.

UC Santa Cruz iGEM team seeks a solution to plastic waste

October 23, 2020

Through campus shutdowns, wildfires, and a two-week quarantine, 13 UCSC students have been finding ways to research a solution to agricultural plastic pollution.

Chemistry grad student awarded DOE support for research at national lab

October 5, 2020

Vivien Cherrette, a graduate student in chemistry and biochemistry at UC Santa Cruz, is among 52 outstanding U.S. graduate students to receive support from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.

Two UCSC physicists elected Fellows of the American Physical Society

September 29, 2020

Physicists Onuttom Narayan and Stefano Profumo were honored by APS for their exceptional contributions to physics.

Bioelectronic device achieves unprecedented control of cell membrane voltage

September 24, 2020

A closed-loop biohybrid device driven by a machine learning algorithm maintained a set membrane voltage in human stem cells for 10 hours.

UCSC engineers developing all-electric power train for future aircraft

September 15, 2020

Funding from the Department of Energy for the UCSC team is part of a major effort to develop carbon-neutral hybrid electric aviation.

High-fidelity record of Earth’s climate history puts current changes in context

September 10, 2020

A continuous record of the past 66 million years shows natural climate variability due to changes in Earth’s orbit around the sun is much smaller than projected future warming due to greenhouse gas emissions.

In the line of fire

September 1, 2020

Alumnus Adam Lowdermilk had built a career as a musician, but the tragic 2018 Camp Fire prompted a change of heart and a leap into firefighting.

Earth scientist Andrew Fisher elected 2019 AAAS Fellow

November 26, 2019

Andrew Fisher, professor of Earth and planetary sciences, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Powerful new supercomputer supports campus research in physical sciences

October 30, 2019

UCSC faculty are using the new system for research in astrophysics, climate science, materials science, chemistry, and other fields.

ARCS Foundation scholarships support UCSC graduate students

September 23, 2019

Fourteen UC Santa Cruz graduate students have received scholarships worth a total of $158,000 from the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation.

Marine scientist Adina Paytan to receive A.G. Huntsman Medal

September 5, 2019

Adina Paytan, a research professor in the Institute of Marine Sciences, has been honored with the 2019 A.G. Huntsman Award for Excellence in the Marine Sciences presented by the Royal Society of Canada.

Corals can survive in acidified ocean conditions, but have lower density skeletons

June 26, 2019

A two-year transplantation experiment near a natural low-pH submarine spring evaluated growth and physiological response of different coral species to ocean acidification.

2017 North Korean nuclear test was order of magnitude larger than previous tests

June 3, 2019

A new assessment of the explosion’s size was led by UC Santa Cruz seismologist Thorne Lay and undergraduate researcher Dimitri Voytan.

Seismologist Emily Brodsky receives multiple honors from professional societies

May 30, 2019

The American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America are both recognizing Brodsky for her scientific contributions.

Air Resources District funds air pollution research and teaching at UC Santa Cruz

April 29, 2019

Partnership between UCSC and the Monterey Bay Air Resources District supports a new course on air pollution and research on high-tech sensors to detect pollutants.

Iron volcanoes may have erupted on metal asteroids

April 8, 2019

NASA’s upcoming mission to the asteroid Psyche could look for signs of past eruptions, and evidence of ‘ferrovolcanism’ may also turn up in iron meteorites.

Postdoctoral fellowship supports planetary science research

March 27, 2019

The 51 Pegasi b Fellowship will fund Xinting Yu’s research at UC Santa Cruz on formation of clouds and hazes on exoplanets.

Sixth annual Climate Conference links science and justice

March 14, 2019

For the first time, the annual UC Santa Cruz Climate Conference will bring together prominent ocean scientists and leading social-justice advocates to discuss the environmental and equity dimensions of the crisis.

Planetary scientist Francis Nimmo honored by Royal Astronomical Society

January 18, 2019

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) has awarded the 2019 Harold Jeffreys Lectureship to Francis Nimmo, professor of Earth and planetary science at UC Santa Cruz.

NSF funds innovative stable isotope equipment at UC Santa Cruz

January 2, 2019

The new equipment will support research across a wide range of disciplines, ranging from oceanography and earth science, paleontology, anthropology, ecology and fundamental biochemical cycle research.