A UC Riverside botanist is investigating how Southern California's plants affect the region's drought. The research aims to identify plant species most susceptible to drought and predict water evaporation from desert chaparral ecosystems.
Researchers have traced the origin of Tahitian vanilla to tropical forests of Guatemala, where it began as a pre-Columbian Maya cultivar. The team used genetic analysis to confirm that Tahitian vanilla is a hybrid offspring between two native species in Central America.
A UC Riverside researcher has developed a new method to culture human embryonic stem cells using no animal-derived materials, which could improve the safety and efficiency of stem cell therapies. The method uses a chemically synthesized ECM and results in stem cells with uncompromised pluripotency.
A UCR graduate student has discovered a new bacterial pathogen, Candidatus Liberibacter psyllaurous, closely related to citrus greening disease, that causes yellowing of tomato and potato leaves. The bacterium is vectored by the tomato/potato psyllid into host plants, resulting in yield losses up to 85% in commercial crops.
Researchers created inexpensive blends of pheromones to detect and estimate the population size of invasive pest cerambycid beetles. They identified over 30 species and found reliable characteristics to determine if a new invader uses attractant pheromones.
Researchers at UC Riverside have made a discovery that could enable the development of faster computers by controlling electron spin and current flow. By altering the thickness of a thin insulator, they were able to selectively pass electrons with specific spins through a structure.
Researchers have discovered an inexpensive, clean way to prepare amines, nitrogen-containing organic compounds used in various industries. The new method produces no waste and is faster than current costly two-step process.
A UCR-led research team found that an abrupt release of methane triggered global warming and ended the last 'snowball' ice age. The study suggests that methane clathrate destabilization acted as a runaway feedback to increased warming.
Researchers at UCR propose a novel pathway for how anti-aging compounds like EthylBloc and SmartFresh block ethylene's action on plants. This knowledge could guide the design of new ethylene-blocking chemicals, benefiting producers and consumers.
A UC Riverside-led study tracked biogeochemical signatures in ancient sedimentary rocks to establish the nature and timing of oxygenation in Earth's atmosphere. The research suggests that a molybdenum-depleted ocean may have retarded the development of complex life for nearly two billion years.
Researchers discover ancient organism with multiple reproductive strategies, including sexual reproduction, dating back to the Neoproterozoic era. The findings suggest that ecosystems were complex and interconnected hundreds of millions of years ago, providing insights into early life evolution and potential extraterrestrial life.
A research team led by Mark Hoddle has successfully used biological control to eradicate the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a major agricultural pest, from Tahiti and neighboring islands. The team introduced a microscopic parasitic wasp that attacks the insect's eggs, reducing its population to less than 5% of its original density.
A UC Riverside-led study has discovered a vast pool of nitrate in near-surface desert soils under 'desert pavement', which could contaminate surface and groundwaters. The researchers warn that disruptions to these areas could result in wind erosion, transporting high levels of nitrate to groundwater or surface waters.
Nikolai Pogorelov, a UC Riverside researcher, has been awarded 850,000 processor hours on the seventh fastest computer in the world to study the outer heliosphere and its interaction with interstellar medium. The research will help plan future space missions and analyze fluxes of galactic cosmic rays.
A UC Riverside study shows that killing prey has both direct and indirect effects on ecosystems, leading to evolutionary changes in prey populations. The research found that prey adapt to food availability as well as the presence of predators, resulting in more food available to survivors.
A team of UC Riverside physicists, led by Gail Hanson, contributed to the installation of the CMS Silicon Strip Tracking Detector at CERN. The detector will help discover new physics and improve our understanding of the universe.
UC Riverside scientists warn that chemicals used to slow the spread of fires in consumer goods, such as televisions and sofas, can be found in high concentrations in human blood and breast milk. Long-term exposure to these chemicals may pose a health risk, particularly for infants and toddlers.
Researchers have found semiconducting nanotubes produced by living bacteria, opening the door to cheaper and more environmentally friendly manufacture of electronic materials. The discovery could lead to novel functionality for next-generation semiconductors in nano- and opto-electronic devices.
Computer simulation predicts Voyager 2 will reach major milestone in space, crossing the 'termination shock' one more time in mid-2008. The spacecraft's expected crossing of the spherical shell marks a significant event in its journey into interstellar space.
UC Riverside scientists will use genomic technology to develop new and improved cowpea cultivars with drought tolerance and resistance to pests and diseases. The goal is to benefit resource-poor African farmers by increasing yields and income generation.
Two teams of scientists found evidence of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere 2.5 billion years ago, 100 million years before the Great Oxidation Event, which marked the rise of animal life. This discovery suggests that the evolution of life on Earth was more complex and occurred earlier than previously believed.
A team of researchers discovered a key protein in plants that creates drug resistance and is similar to proteins found in humans. This finding could help uncover new factors contributing to variable drug responses in humans and advance the understanding of drug sensitivity.
Researchers found that electrons in graphene behave like quantum billiard balls, with wave-like properties and interference patterns. The discovery could lead to new applications such as ballistic transistors and resonant cavities for electrons.
Physicists at UCR have created molecular positronium, which could help develop gamma-ray lasers and explain the universe's matter-antimatter imbalance. The research uses silica to trap positronium atoms, allowing them to form molecules that can interact with each other.
A UCR plant cell biologist is studying how plant stem cells maintain their identity and specialize into different cell types. He will use two powerful methods, microgenomics and live imaging, to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind stem-cell regulation.
Researchers at UCR will develop inexpensive badges for monitoring diesel and gasoline exhaust exposure in real-time, using nanotechnology. The project aims to better understand the role of environmental factors in diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
A UC-Riverside hydrologist will study the ecological impact of climate change on mountain lakes, focusing on atmospheric deposition of nutrients. The research aims to understand how nutrient enrichment affects lake productivity and ecology, with potential implications for regulatory agencies setting air quality standards.
A research team, including UC Riverside biologists, has found experimental evidence supporting a theory of genetic conflict in the reproduction of fish that bear placentas. The conflict is likened to an
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have identified two key genes in black widow spider silk, which has superior strength and extensibility. The discovery may lead to the production of synthetic silk with similar properties, potentially used in body armor, medical devices and athletic attire.
Leonard Nunney's research team will develop a nationwide map of different subspecies of Xylella and an effective monitoring system to catch foreign forms. They aim to understand the genetic basis of host specificity, crucial for preventing further damage to California's grape, peach, and almond industries.
Researchers at UCR have successfully demonstrated the remote operation of micromachines using light to change the Casimir force. The study uses silicon plates with varying carrier densities and training a beam of light on them to alter the plate's properties.
Researchers used adaptive optics to precisely locate and study the environments of two supermassive black holes at the center of a galaxy merger. The observations revealed young star clusters and rotating disks of stars surrounding each black hole.
Researchers found hundreds of new species of bacteria that can break down petroleum products, including those surviving without water or oxygen. The bacteria have potential applications for cleaning oil spills, medical treatments, alternative energy, and industrial uses.
Researchers at UCR have discovered cyclic alkyl amino carbenes (CAACs), which can mimic the behavior of metals in splitting hydrogen under mild conditions. This breakthrough could lead to the development of carbon-based systems for storing hydrogen and producing useful amino compounds.
A team of researchers at UC Riverside has successfully designed a molecule that can move in a straight line and carry tiny shopping bags with up to two CO2 molecules. The new molecule carrier runs on a copper surface and requires precise energy control, making it an essential step towards molecular-scale machinery.
Researchers found that controlling sexual compatibility in self-incompatible plants like the California wild radish can help minimize their reproductive success and prevent establishment. Larger population sizes and genetic diversity also boosted reproduction, highlighting potential strategies to combat invasive plant spread.
Physicists at UCR have detected the top quark, the heaviest known elementary particle, for the first time without its antimatter partner, allowing them to study its properties and production process. The discovery has significant implications for understanding the fundamental nature of the universe and how objects acquire mass.
An interdisciplinary team will investigate how environmental changes influence an organism's evolution and how the evolving organism affects the ecosystem. The study, led by UC Riverside's David Reznick, aims to understand eco-evolutionary feedback loops in guppy populations coexisting with Hart's killifish.
In response to a parasitic attack, male crickets on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai developed silent wings, allowing them to mate with females despite the loss of their sexual signal. The new behavior enabled males to capitalize on the few remaining callers and escape the deadly fly, ensuring evolutionary success.
Researchers confirm the Olmec people wrote down their speech around 900 BC, based on nearby art and a stone block discovery in southern Veracruz, Mexico. This finding is significant as it marks the first strong indication of visual recorded speech among the Olmec civilization.
Researchers from UCR report that unless people reapply sunscreen often, filters in sunscreens can generate compounds that attack skin cells, leading to oxidative damage. To reduce ROS levels, more advanced sunscreens with UV-filters on the skin surface are needed or mixing with antioxidants.
Researchers have successfully bred flood-tolerant California rice by introducing submergence tolerance genes into the crop. This breakthrough allows rice plants to survive short-term floods, benefiting rice farmers globally.
Researchers at UCR discovered a way molecules assemble without external guidance, forming a two-dimensional honeycomb network with big pores. The finding could help develop templates for growing complex structures on surfaces and improve paints and lubricants.
Researchers at UC Riverside developed a new technique using Atomic Force Microscopy to study brain proteins and measure bonding between single molecule molecules. This breakthrough allows for the rapid detection of neurotoxins with extremely small sample sizes.
Researchers found that a command hormone called ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH) orchestrates activities in discrete groups of peptide neurons in the brain, initiating innate behaviors such as escape and defensive maneuvers. This discovery could lead to manipulation of behavior in animals and intelligent robots.
A study by UC Riverside researchers found that the California wild radish is a hybrid of cultivated radish and jointed charlock, having completely replaced its ancestors in less than 100 years. The researchers attribute this rapid spread to unique traits such as unswollen roots and early flowering.
Plant biologist Jian Kang Zhu discovered that the high expression of osmotically responsive gene 1 (HOS1) acts as a biochemical gate to cut off the plant's cold protection. The HOS1 protein interacts with ICE1, kicking off a genetic cascade that provides cold protection proteins.
Physicists verify Chandra Varma's microscopic theory of high-temperature superconductivity using neutron scattering experiments. The results suggest ways to fabricate room temperature superconductors and shed light on a major mystery in physics.
UCR researchers develop more stable carbene, a family of compounds used in pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals. The new molecule has a unique shape and size, potentially leading to even more powerful catalysts.
Researchers at University of California, Riverside, are developing a software-based thermal sensing system to monitor heat changes during run time. The system aims to address design shortcomings in traditional temperature sensors, which can lead to performance degradation.