Chemistry and Biochemistry

Coming full circle

Alumnus Darren Thompson, an accomplished chemist and student mentor, overcame a dark turn in his life with help from his determination, his Christian faith, and a UC Santa Cruz professor.

UCSC expands COVID-19 testing during surge to support community needs

A gift from Bud and Rebecca Colligan will expand testing capacity and help fund a new, dedicated laboratory space to house the diagnostic lab in the Genomics Institute’s facilities at the Westside Research Park.

New cryo-electron microscopy facility a boon for UCSC structural biologists

With major funding from NIH, researchers at UC Santa Cruz have acquired powerful imaging tools for studying the structures of biomolecules and their roles in disease.

Materials theorist Yuan Ping wins grant from Air Force Young Investigator Program

Ping’s research on spin dynamics in two-dimensional materials has applications for spintronics and quantum information technologies.

Novel technique spotlights neuronal uptake of amyloid beta in Alzheimer’s disease

Study finds a short section of the amyloid beta protein is recognized by the cellular prion protein, which mediates its uptake into neurons and subsequent toxicity.

Scientists discover how a common mutation leads to ‘night owl’ sleep disorder

A small change in a key component of our biological clocks lengthens the clock period, causing people to stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning.

Chemistry grad student awarded DOE support for research at national lab

Vivien Cherrette, a graduate student in chemistry and biochemistry at UC Santa Cruz, is among 52 outstanding U.S. graduate students to receive support from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.

UC Santa Cruz leads research center on botanical dietary supplements

A new $5 million NIH grant supports a collaborative research program to understand the cellular mechanisms by which botanical natural products may affect human health.

Steck Award recipient helps discover protein involved with circadian clock timing

Afred Freeberg assisted the Partch lab in studying the molecular basis for circadian rhythms - biological processes that occur naturally in line with the Earth’s 24-hour daily rotation cycle.

New method predicts spin dynamics of materials for quantum computing

A universal first-principles approach will accelerate the identification and design of materials for quantum information science and other spintronics applications.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Presentation on zombie insects wins Grad Slam top award

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.