College of Engineering Content

Renowned Wireless Communications Expert Wins 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Teaching Prize

Cody Kitaura — December 16, 2025 - 10:50am

On Monday, Dec. 1, Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Zhi Ding entered Wellman Hall like any other day, navigating to a near-capacity classroom on the bottom floor to begin his “Signal Analysis and Communications” lecture at the University of California, Davis. As he started teaching, however, he and his students were interrupted by a group of special guests led by Chancellor Gary S. May.

Federal Budget Cut Halts Solar Heat Technology Project

Andy Fell — December 08, 2025 - 2:35pm

A project to capture solar heat for industrial use — with potential spinoffs in other energy areas, including nuclear power — has been canceled by the U.S. Department of Energy on the cusp of its final phase. The University of California, Davis, received a letter from the federal agency stating that the work “does not effectuate the Department of Energy’s priorities.”

Mechanical Power by Linking Earth’s Warmth to Space

Andy Fell — November 12, 2025 - 11:31am

Engineers at the University of California, Davis, have invented a device that can generate mechanical power at night by linking the natural warmth around us to the cold depths of space. The invention could be used, for example, to ventilate greenhouses or other buildings. The work is described Nov. 12 in Science Advances.

Federal Contract for up to $40 Million Fuels Research to Revolutionize Clean Indoor Air and Defend Against Next Pandemic

Andy Fell — October 16, 2025 - 2:05pm

When a public building catches fire, its built-in systems automatically respond: Smoke alarms blare, sprinklers kick on, and occupants quickly evacuate.

But what if the life-threatening danger isn’t fire but invisible airborne contaminants that can make occupants sick? Could a similar smart-building system monitor and improve the quality of the air indoors, where Americans spend 90 percent of their time?

A Stretchy Protein Senses Forces in Cells

Andy Fell — October 10, 2025 - 11:20am

How does skin hold you in? How do heart cells beat together? Researchers at the University of California, Davis, Department of Biomedical Engineering, are exploring how structures called desmosomes, which stick cells together, function and react to mechanical stress.

New work from Professor Sanjeevi Sivasankar’s lab, published Oct. 10 in Nature Communications, shows how a desmosome protein can respond to mechanical stress and potentially send signals within the cell.

AI Tool to Help Farmers Measure Real-Time Crop Health from the Field

Andy Fell — September 24, 2025 - 3:24pm

Leaf Monitor, a new mobile tool backed by artificial intelligence and predictive modeling, could revolutionize how farmers monitor crops and make decisions by providing real-time nutrition and leaf trait information in the field.

Cheaper, Sustainable Plant Biomanufacturing on Earth and in Space

Andy Fell — September 15, 2025 - 3:31pm

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have been awarded a $3 million National Science Foundation grant to develop new technologies and workforce training programs to grow plants in low-resource environments both on Earth and in space.

Engineers Create Mini Microscope for Real-Time Brain Imaging

Andy Fell — September 12, 2025 - 2:21pm

51�ԹϺ�� Davis researchers have created a miniaturized microscope for real-time, high-resolution imaging of brain activity in mice. The device is a significant step toward revolutionizing how neuroscientists study behavior and perception in the brain.

Total-Body PET Imaging Takes a Look at Long COVID

Andy Fell — August 28, 2025 - 9:59am

Using total-body PET imaging to get a better understanding of long COVID disease is the goal of a new project at the University of California, Davis, in collaboration with 51�ԹϺ�� San Francisco. The project is funded by a grant of $3.2 million over four years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

51�ԹϺ�� Davis Study Reveals Alarming Browser Tracking by GenAI Assistants

Andy Fell — August 18, 2025 - 12:09pm

A new study led by computer scientists at the University of California, Davis, reveals that generative AI browser assistants collect and share sensitive data without users’ knowledge. Stronger safeguards, transparency and awareness are needed to protect user privacy online, the researchers said.

A new brand of generative AI, or GenAI, browser extensions act as your personal assistant as you surf the web, making browsing easier and more personalized. They can summarize web pages, answer questions, translate text and take notes.