Scientists have sequenced the genome of the ‘sacred lotus,” a finding that could reveal many secrets about aging and genetic defects. A team of 70 scientists from the U.S., China, Australia and Japan today reports having sequenced and annotated the genome of the “sacred lotus,” which is believed to have a powerful genetic system that [...]

A new study shows that parts of the prefrontal cortex take over when the hippocampus is damaged, a finding that could potentially help scientists develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and other conditions involving damage to the brain. When the brain’s primary “learning center” is damaged, complex new neural circuits arise to compensate for [...]

In a new study, UCLA researchers increased parkin levels in the cells of fruit flies, discovering that this extended their life span by more than 25 percent as compared with a control group that did not receive additional parkin. UCLA life scientists have identified a gene previously implicated in Parkinson’s disease that can delay the [...]

In a newly published study, researchers at UCLA demonstrate how to add power to a spintronics device by harnessing excess heat and converting it for practical use. FINDINGS: Imagine how much you could save on your electricity bill if you could use the excess heat your computer generates to actually power the machine. Researchers at [...]

In another step forward for personalized medicine, scientists at UCLA have classified kidney cancer into several unique subtypes that will help tailor individual cancer treatment. Researchers with UCLA’s Institute of Urologic Oncology and department of urology have classified kidney cancer into several unique subtypes, a breakthrough that will help physicians tailor treatment to individual kidney [...]

Using nanoscale diamond-like particles called nanodiamonds, researchers have developed a potentially more effective treatment for “triple-negative” breast cancer, notably decreasing tumor growth and eliminating the devastating side effects of cancer treatment during testing with mice. Recently, doctors have begun to categorize breast cancers into four main groups according to the genetic makeup of the cancer [...]

UCLA and UC Berkeley researchers have completed the first visual map of the telomerase enzyme, reporting the positions of each component of the enzyme relative to one another and the complete organization of the enzyme’s active site. Like finally seeing all the gears of a watch and how they work together, researchers from UCLA and [...]

In a newly published study, a large team of biologists describe the genome of the western painted turtle, discovering clues how the painted turtle may offer important insights into the management of a number of human health disorders. Humans could learn a thing or two from turtles, and scientists who have just sequenced the first [...]

By immersing charged barium chloride molecules in an ultracold cloud of calcium atoms, UCLA physicists have pioneered a new cooling technique that may be a stepping stone to quantum computing. The next generation of computers promises far greater power and faster processing speeds than today’s silicon-based based machines. These “quantum computers” — so called because [...]

Using a new imaging method that screens the brain’s connections, UCLA scientists have discovered a common abnormality in our genetic code that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s years before the disease strikes. Scientists at UCLA have discovered a new genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease by screening people’s DNA and then using an advanced type [...]

A new study from UCLA suggests that certain bacteria can pretend to be viruses when infecting humans, allowing them to hijack the body’s immune response so that they can hide inside cells. An outbreak of tuberculosis in the skid row area of downtown Los Angeles may have exposed up to 4,500 individuals to the bacterium [...]

UCLA physicists have demonstrated that an electron beam can be accelerated by a laser in free space. Accelerating a free electron with a laser has been a longtime goal of solid-state physicists. David Cline, a distinguished professor in the UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Xiaoping Ding, an assistant researcher at UCLA, have conducted [...]