Unique Biotechnology Program Has Been Connecting Students with Industry for 20 Years

The UC Davis Biotechnology Program remains a truly unique resource for preparing Ph.D. students to enter the biotechnology field based on an immersive educational experience with ties to industry icons like GlaxoSmithKline, Genentech, IBM, Amgen, Bayer and Pfizer. The program places 30 to 40 students per year in internships that expose them to real-world applications and launch their professional networks. Industry representatives also visit to speak at the program's seminar series, offering insight into an array of opportunities within the industry.

Research Highlights
Transportation Researchers Reveal the "Diet Soda" Effect of Buying a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle
Study finds that households who buy a fuel-efficient vehicle tend to buy a bigger, more powerful second car to compensate. This tendency, combined with the changes in driving behavior that result, may reduce up to 60 percent of the expected future gas savings from increased fuel economy in two-car households.

Helping Water Utilities Reduce California's Energy Use and Emissions
The Center for Water and Energy Efficiency at UC Davis is testing a system to help water utilities optimize their energy use and reduce operational costs. If successful, the pilot program could help balance the electrical grid’s intermittent distribution of renewable energy, while providing substantial savings to ratepayers.


New Cancer Treatments in Dogs May Help Humans as Well
Radiation oncologist Michael Kent uses the most advanced technology to develop treatments to extend the lives of our four legged friends. But because the biology of dogs and humans is so similar, what he finds could help treat human cancers as well.

Understanding If and How Polar Fish Can Adapt to Climate Change
New research sheds light on the possible fate of many sea creatures, including ones we depend on for food. Preliminary results indicate that the polar fish have been able to acclimate to warm water or to higher levels of carbon dioxide, but not both together.

Unlocking the Genetics of Cancer to Advance Personalized Medicine
Research teams from different disciplines are working together to create the framework for the future of cancer therapies. By describing the behaviors of cancer-related genes, it will become possible to create specific profiles to target tumor growth. One day, physicians will be able to prescribe a customized treatment plan for each patient based on their genetic profile.

Uncovering Links Between Diet and Cognitive Decline
Nearly 47 million people worldwide live with dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. In a review article published in Nature: Science of Food, Professor Raymond Rodriguez and his colleagues explore the relationship between diet and brain health, proposing a framework to understand the body’s “food-brain axis.”

Innovation News
Gene Discovery May Halt Worldwide Wheat Epidemic
Researchers have identified a gene that enables resistance to a new devastating strain of stem rust, a fungal disease that is hampering wheat production throughout Africa and Asia and threatening food security worldwide.

UC Davis Recognized as Innovation Champion of the Year

The Sacramento Region Innovation Awards honored UC Davis as the Innovation Champion of the Year. The awards program recognizes recent business innovations in six categories, honoring the people and organizations that advance new products, services and processes from the regional economy. One UC Davis startup, XTB Laboratories, received the Innovation Award in the food and agribusiness category.

UC Davis Enables 14 Startup Companies in Last Fiscal Year
One of the companies, XTB Laboratories Inc., founded by Cristina Davis, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has developed a method that can quickly and noninvasively diagnose a devastating citrus disease known as “citrus greening.” The disease has cost the citrus industry billions of dollars in lost revenue.

UC Davis Startup Company Develops "Digital Medicine" to Help Children with Cognitive Impairments

Cognivive was one of 22 startups selected for an  Innovation and Entrepreneurship Showcase  in Washington, D.C. The company was also recently awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institute of Aging to develop a platform that uses video games to treat children with neurodevelopment disorders and adults with brain injuries.

Researcher Spotlight
How Susan Ustin Helped Launch a New Field of Study and Why She Continues to Study the Earth from Above
In 1982, Susan Ustin began working with NASA satellite data to study how plants respond to environmental stress. Thirty-five years later, the pioneer in remote sensing, and a distinguished professor of environmental and resource sciences at UC Davis, is still finding new ways to tackle environmental problems from above.

Featured Events
3 Revolutions Transportation Policy Conference
The 3 Revolutions Policy Conference will assemble leading transportation experts and leaders to explore how we can steer shared, electric, and automated technologies and services to a better future .
February 26-27

Ignite Conference
Ignite is a four-day summit and tour that brings together innovative CEOs and business leaders to speak with students. Includes a day visiting Bay Area and Silicon Valley startups. 
March 7-10
 
Honors and Awards
UC Davis Sponsored Research Funding Increases to $783 Million for Last Fiscal Year

Wall Street Journal Ranks UC Davis as the Sixth Best Public University in the Nation

Fifteen Faculty Members Elected to Newest Class of Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Zhou Yu, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Recognized in FORBES' 2018 "30 Under 30" Science List

 View more awards and rankings
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