Science & Technology Content

Researchers Find Carcinogenic Chromium-6 in Palisades, Altadena Fire Cleanup Zones

Katherine E Kerlin — June 01, 2026 - 9:52am

A carcinogen with potentially serious impacts on human health was found in neighborhoods in the months after the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires and may have spread to communities as far as six to nine miles downwind from the fire zones, according to newly published work by University of California researchers.

AI Suggests Simple Food Swaps to Make Meals Healthier and Cheaper

Andy Fell — May 28, 2026 - 11:00am

An artificial intelligence framework that suggests just one to three ingredient swaps can make meals meaningfully more nutritious and less expensive, according to a new study published May 28 in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health by Trevor Chan and Ilias Tagkopoulos of the University of California, Davis.

51�ԹϺ�� Davis Medical Imaging Expert Elected as Fellow of the Royal Society

Katherine E Kerlin — May 27, 2026 - 2:49pm

The Royal Society has elected Simon R. Cherry, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of biomedical engineering and radiology at the University of California, Davis, to the level of fellow.

Election to fellow is given to the world’s most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists. Only 90 scientists across the globe received the honor this year, which was announced on May 27.

Taking Dark Energy Out of the Equation

Katherine E Kerlin — May 27, 2026 - 2:24pm

Mathematicians are challenging the idea that dark energy is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe.

A Fresh Approach to Peppermint

Andy Fell — May 14, 2026 - 11:37am

The genomics of peppermint are not as fresh as their flavor but scientists from the University of California, Davis, have found a way to breathe new genetic variation into the species.

Could Cultured Chocolate Unlock the Next Food Revolution?

Andy Fell — May 11, 2026 - 1:12pm

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, are working with California Cultured, a Sacramento based food-tech company, to keep chocolate affordable and sustainable by growing everyone’s favorite treat directly from plant cells.

Children with Rare, Debilitating Brain Diseases Suffer From Mutations in a Little-Known Protein Complex

Andy Fell — May 08, 2026 - 9:40am

Thousands of times per year, a family’s moment of joy turns to unexpected grief. A seemingly healthy infant stops smiling or making eye contact. Their limbs grow weak. The tiny child suffers seizures and breathing problems.

Jawdat Al-Bassam, an associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Davis, often hears from these families. “I’ve gotten emails from folks all over the world,” he said.

Non-Rotating Early Galaxy Is a Surprise to Astronomers

Andy Fell — May 04, 2026 - 3:06pm

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have made a surprising discovery about a galaxy long, long ago and far, far away: It isn’t rotating.

Fish Evolution Accelerated After Adapting to Eat off Hard Surfaces

Andy Fell — April 28, 2026 - 1:47pm

Why are there so many species of coral reef fish? According to a new study, it’s because about 50 million years ago, some fish figured out how to bite food from hard surfaces.

Evolution doesn’t proceed at an even pace: Species evolve in jumps and spurts, followed by lulls. These periods of rapid diversification usually occur after a dramatic environmental change or upheaval, or when a lineage develops a new “innovation” that allows them to use a previously inaccessible resource. For fish, the ability to feed from a hard surface was one such innovation.

Light Bends Perovskite Crystal Lattice, Opening Way to New Devices

Andy Fell — March 31, 2026 - 4:08pm

New types of semiconductor devices that respond to light could be possible using materials called perovskites, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The work, published March 3 in Advanced Materials, shows that halide perovskite crystals reversibly change shape when exposed to light.