Science & Technology Content

When It Comes to Fusion, Materials Matter

Katherine E Kerlin — July 23, 2026 - 8:00am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis and Berkeley Lab researchers found the structure and composition of materials can dramatically increase how often fusion happens at low energies. This may help people design materials that improve fusion-based technologies.

Machine Learning Accelerates Search for Longer-Lasting Materials for Solar Cells

Katherine E Kerlin — July 21, 2026 - 2:41pm

A 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study shows how combining AI with laboratory experiments could speed the development of more reliable, low-cost solar energy technologies.

‘Enchanted Broomstick’ Protein Walks on Two Stubby Legs to Keep Our Nerve Cells Alive

Katherine E Kerlin — July 15, 2026 - 10:59am

A nerve cell resembles a vast tree with branches that communicate with thousands of other cells. To function, it depends on a motor protein that walks on two legs, hauling urgent cargo from the center of the cell to the faraway tips of every branch. Scientists have unveiled a new structure of this walking protein, showing how cells control it.

Aggie Venture Accelerator Welcomes Inaugural Cohort of Life Science Startups

James Michael Nash — July 13, 2026 - 8:55am

The University of California, Davis Innovation and Economic Development Office has announced the inaugural cohort of the Aggie Venture Accelerator (AVA), selecting SinewUS, Pharm to Food and ThriveSpan Labs as the program’s first participating startups.

What Molting Hawks Can Teach Researchers About Resilient Flight

Katherine E Kerlin — June 26, 2026 - 9:00am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis researchers found that red-tailed hawks adjust their wing and tail movements during molt to maintain flight performance despite missing feathers. The findings could improve wildlife rehabilitation practices and inspire more resilient drones and uncrewed aerial vehicles.

$1.2 Million Keck Foundation Bridge Funding Initiative Makes Awards to Early‑Career Scientists at 51�ԹϺ�� Davis

James Michael Nash — June 07, 2026 - 12:36pm

The University of California, Davis, is pleased to announce new awards totaling $1.2 million from the Bridge Funding Initiative supported by the W. M. Keck Foundation. This investment will provide critical resources to six high‑impact basic science projects during a period when early‑stage research often faces significant funding uncertainty.

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.