UC Davis' New Podcast UNFOLD Explores How Innovations in Biotechnologies are Addressing the Challenge of Food Security

Genetic modification may get a lot of consumers’ attention, but plant breeders have newer tools for creating crops. Food that’s been gene-edited using CRISPR is now on store shelves. This episode of UNFOLD looks at biotechnologies such as gene-editing and CRISPR and how they could potentially help reduce food waste and create higher-yielding or disease-resistant crops. The podcast examines how these new techniques could produce a healthier potato and a longer-lasting tomato and what biotechnology could mean for animal agriculture.

Research Highlights
Brain Molecule Identified as Key in Anxiety Model
Millions of people suffer from anxiety, depression and related mood disorders. Researchers at UC Davis and the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that by boosting a single brain chemical, they could reduce anxiety-related behaviors in rhesus macaque monkeys.

Zero-Emission Vehicles Will Eventually Save Costs with Supportive Policies
By as early as 2030, California’s transition to zero emission vehicles could begin to save the state money, according to a study released by researchers at the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis. The report finds that reaching very low greenhouse gas emissions from road vehicles by 2050 appears feasible and ultimately cost-effective.

Nutrition Programs Alone Aren't Enough to Support Healthy Brain Development
A new study shows that caregiving programs are five times more effective than nutrition programs in supporting smarter, not just taller, children in low- and middle-income countries. Researchers have known adequate nutrition during pregnancy and childhood improve both conditions. But children growing up in poverty face a variety of risk factors that could govern growth and development differently.

Deportations Driven by Secure Communities Program Do Not Reduce Crime
A new study casts doubt on the effectiveness of the Secure Communities program, an immigration enforcement program based on local-federal cooperation introduced in 2008. The study finds that increases in deportations related to the program did not reduce crime rates for violent offenses or property offenses.

UC Davis Invests $4 Million to Launch Four New Research Centers
Building on the success of a previous Office of Research program — RISE — that helped boost exciting campus innovations such as the EXPLORER total body PET scanner, UC Davis is now investing $4 million to build four new IMPACT Centers in data science, gene therapy, global migration and perinatal health disparities.

Innovation News
Researchers Develop a Breath Test for Opioids
UC Davis researchers have developed a method for detecting opioid drugs and drug metabolites in breath. The test could be useful for management of patients with chronic pain, as well as for detecting illegal opioid use.

Agricultural Innovations Help Cambodian Farmers Thrive
Cambodian farmers have been working with researchers from UC Davis and Cambodia’s Royal University of Agriculture to test new methods for growing and selling produce locally. These innovations are helping farmers benefit from growing and selling horticultural crops, amid rising recognition that fruits and vegetables are not only critical to meet human nutrition needs, but can help farmers in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty.

New Law Sponsored by UC Will Allow Commercialization of Discoveries in State Parks
Johan Leveau, a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, discovered an anti-fungal microbe, Cal35, in soils from the Jug Handle State Natural Reserve. Although Cal35 showed promise for the agriculture industry, previous state law did not allow the commercialization of materials from state parks. With the passage of sB 442, Leveau and other researchers now have a path to develop their discoveries.

Advanced Imaging Tool Puts UC Davis at Forefront of Cancer Treatment in Animals
Cancer can be a devastating diagnosis for any pet owner. But now, thanks to new advanced imaging equipment known as the Mini Explorer II, UC Davis veterinarians can diagnose and treat disease earlier, with greater precision.

Researcher Spotlight
Pakistani Researcher Hopes to Improve Conditions for Women Working in Agriculture
International scholar Rukhshanda Abdur Rehman is conducting research on sexual harassment in the agricultural workplace at the UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health. A Ph.D. student at Lahore College for Women University, she is one of the first Pakistani psychologists doing work on sexual harassment in the agriculture sector.

Featured Events
Launch Event for IMPACT Center Program
The Office of Research invites you to the launch event for four new IMPACT Centers. Short for Inter & Multidisciplinary Program to Accelerate Convergence & Translation, the IMPACT centers are distinctly situated to align campus strengths with unique opportunities for global impact.
October 23, 2019

Dialogues and Discourse: Closing the Gap Between Scientific Innovation and Public Acceptance
How do we close the growing gap between scientific innovation and public acceptance? Using climate change policy and genetic engineering as case studies, this discussion will investigate why public opinion diverges from scientific discovery, and discuss what we can do to bridge the innovation gap.
November 4, 2019

Barriers to Public Acceptance of Climate Science, Impacts and Solutions: A Talk by Renowned Climate Scientist Katherine Hayhoe
Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, is known for her work on regional climate impacts and for sharing her understanding of what climate change means for people and the places where we live. Join Hayhoe as she explores the psychological, societal, political, and economic reasons behind this polarization, and how positive action based on a foundation of shared values and concerns can serve to bridge the climate divide. Hosted by the UC Davis John Muir Institute of the Environment.
November 5, 2019

3 Revolutions Policy Conference
This year’s conference will focus on Climate and Equity. The call to address climate change and social inequality is growing louder and more urgent. The 3 Revolutions Policy Conference will explore emerging topics from the transportation and energy sectors that are key to workable solutions.
March 24-25, 2020
Honors and Awards
UC Davis Reports $846 Million in Research Funding for Fiscal Year 2018-19

Money Magazine Ranks UC Davis in Nation's Top 5

UC Davis Ranked No. 5 Public University by The Wall Street Journal

UC Davis Ranked 2nd Among Top Universities in the Nation on a List of Affordable Elite Colleges Put out by Washington Monthly

 View more awards and rankings
Receive this email from a friend?  Subscribe now
  Thank You!  
Research at UC Davis is made possible by funding from government agencies, industry sponsors, nonprofit organizations and donor gifts.
For more information about the UC Davis Office of Research, please visit our website , like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter .