Chemistry & Biochemistry
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Alumnus leads massive effort to ramp up COVID-19 testing
UC Santa Cruz alumnus Joe DeRisi is one of the leading scientists in the fight against the novel coronavirus, helming a massive effort to ramp up state-of-the-art clinical laboratory testing for COVID-19 throughout California, while pioneering large-scale testing in Bay Area communities.
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New high-throughput approach yields libraries of probes for immunological assays
Technical innovation enables rapid assessment of T cell repertoires for research and diagnostics, with potential applications in studying COVID-19 immune responses.
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New isomer separation method a boon for research on protein oxidation
UCSC chemists have developed an easy way to separate the stereoisomers of an oxidized amino acid that has important functions in protein biology.
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UCSC researchers are taking on the coronavirus challenge on multiple fronts
From developing diagnostic tests to conducting surveys of infection prevalence, campus researchers are doing what they can in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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New understanding of immune modulator interleukin-2 guides drug discovery
A new study shows how IL-2’s flexible structure governs its effects on the immune system, providing crucial information for harnessing its therapeutic potential.
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Molecular switch mechanism explains how mutations shorten biological clocks
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of our internal clocks may enable the development of therapies for sleep disorders and other effects of clock disruption.
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Structural analysis reveals an unexpected mechanism for a cancer drug
Palbociclib is clinically approved for treating breast cancer, but it doesn’t work the way scientists thought it did.
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New system will capture and reuse scarce helium for critical lab instruments
As helium becomes increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain, a new recovery system will help ensure a reliable supply of the element needed for powerful research instruments.
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Study reveals dynamics of crucial immune system proteins
New findings show how a key part of the immune system functions and suggest potential applications in disease diagnostics and therapeutics .
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Powerful new supercomputer supports campus research in physical sciences
UCSC faculty are using the new system for research in astrophysics, climate science, materials science, chemistry, and other fields.
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Biophysicist David Kliger investigates how a protein goes wrong and causes blindness
Abnormal versions of the protein rhodopsin lead to blindness in people with the genetic disease retinitis pigmentosa.
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Finding his way—with a little help
All alumnus Patrick Bailey needed was some support, which he found in the Summer Research Experience program at UC Santa Cruz; this year, he defied the odds by earning a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology, and is now doing cancer research.