ABA is a hormone plants produce during dry spells to signal water retention. In collaboration with other institutions, UC Riverside scientists have modified this system pathway to design a biosensor to signal the presence of diverse chemical classes, including synthetic cannabinoids.
Ecdysone is a major insect molting hormone that requires a transporter to enter cells. Fruit flies and other arthropods have EcI, a highly conserved transporter that is missing in mosquitos. This opens avenues for controlling mosquito populations.
Lack of exercise is known to be a risk factor for mental and physical health. Researchers investigate how antibiotics that kill essential bacteria in the gut microbiome affect athletic performance.
Glassy-winged sharpshooters are common vectors of Xylella fastidiosa bacteria that causes Pierce's disease in vineyards. As these insects develop resistance to pesticides, biotechnology and genetic engineering methods are being explored.
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) have elected IIGB researchers, Hailing Jin and Anandasankar Ray, as senior members of the academy. Dr. Hailing Jin is currently Professor and Cy Mouradick Endowed Chair within the department of microbiology & plant pathology. Dr. Jin’s research leads to the development of innovative and environmentally friendly crop protection strategies...
From UCR News article, published January 18, 2022 by Jules Bernstein The Japan Academy Medal, widely considered the most prestigious award for young Japanese researchers, only goes to six recipients annually. This year associate entomology professor Naoki Yamanaka has been elected for the honor. Chosen among nominees from all fields of sciences and humanities, Yamanaka...
Karine Le Roch, the director of CIDVR and a professor of molecular, cell and systems biology has been awarded the 2021 Natasha V. Raikhel Award in Research Innovation and Science Leadership at the Annual CEPCEB Award Symposium on Dec. 10, 2021
From UCR News article, published November 18, 2021 by Jules Bernstein A team of researchers led by UC Riverside has demonstrated for the first time one way that a small molecule turns a single cell into something as large as a tree. For half a century, scientists have known that all plants depend on this...
"Plants as mRNA Factories for Edible Vaccines" September 17, 2021 Published in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News University of California-Riverside (UCR) researchers say they are studying whether they can turn edible plants like lettuce into mRNA vaccine factories. One of the challenges with this new technology is that it must be kept cold to maintain...
Alex Borowsky of CEPCEB and the Bailey-Serres lab has received an $180,000 grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study gene regulatory network dynamics of root barrier cell suberin deposition in rice. Alex is one of 117 recipients of the predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowship grants this year. NIFA states that...
UC, Riverside News Published 5/24/21 by Holly Ober Urban agriculture offers many benefits for food production but often has higher costs relative to traditional farming and is limited to only a few crops. Robert Jinkerson, an assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering at UC Riverside, is working to change this by engineering the size...
University of California scientists have discovered genetic data that will help food crops like tomatoes and rice survive longer, more intense periods of drought on our warming planet. Over the course of the last decade, the research team sought to create a molecular atlas of crop roots, where plants first detect the effects of drought...
Wenbo Ma has been selected to receive this year’s Ruth Allen Award of the American Society of Phytopathology. This award honors individuals who have made an outstanding, innovative research contribution that has changed, or has the potential to change, the direction of research in any field of plant pathology. Congratulations, Wenbo!
New research affirms a unique peptide found in an Australian plant can destroy the No. 1 killer of citrus trees worldwide and help prevent infection. Huanglongbing, HLB, or citrus greening has multiple names, but one ultimate result: bitter and worthless citrus fruits. It has wiped out citrus orchards across the globe, causing billions in annual...
UC Riverside scientists are betting an ancient solution will solve citrus growers’ biggest problem by breeding new fruits with natural resistance to a deadly tree disease. The hybrid fruits will ideally share the best of their parents’ attributes: the tastiness of the best citrus, and the resistance to Huanglongbing, or HLB, displayed by some Australian...
UC Riverside entomologist Hollis Woodard and bee researchers at 11 other institutions are leading the charge to gather the kind of data that will help governments and land managers justify new protective regulations for native bees. In a new Biological Conservation paper, Woodard and her colleagues lay out the need for this alliance of researchers...
Jason Stajich and Hailing Jin joined a class of 73 total fellows elected to the American Academy of Microbiology. The academy is a leadership group of scientists from around the globe within the American Society of Microbiology elected annually through a selective, peer-reviewed process. Additionally, Stajich was elected as a fellow of the Mycological Society...
A research team led by a scientist at the University of California, Riverside, has found olfaction — or smell — may play an important role in motivating mammals to engage in voluntary exercise. Performed in lab mice, the study may open up new areas of research and have relevance for humans. Study results appear in...
Ten researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have been included in the 2020 Highly Cited Researchers list compiled by Clarivate Analytics, which was previously part of Thomson Reuters. The list includes the 6,167 most frequently cited researchers in the physical and social sciences, recognized as “researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field.”...
