biological sciences

Dr. Zhijian “James” Chen won the 2019 Switzer Prize, which recognizes excellence in basic biological science.

The study, conducted in mice, is the first to show that creatine uptake is critical to the anti-tumor activities of what is known as killer T cells, the foot soldiers of the immune system.

UCLA evolutionary biologist Blaire Van Valkenburgh links an increase in fractured teeth to a dwindling supply of the carnivores' prey.

Research shows that certain gut bacteria can respond to serotonin and drugs that influence serotonin, like anti-depressants. The biologists call this a unique form of communication between bacteria and cells.

Research brief: The team developed an approach to visualizing structure called microcrystal electron diffraction, which allowed the researchers to confirm how the newly discovered molecular assembly pathway works.

The findings have implications for the conservation of rare and endangered species, in which low genetic diversity could increase the odds of extinction.

UCLA researchers launch open-source software that can identify a broad range of species from samples.

Dr. Zhijian (James) Chen of the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas is the recipient. Chen has performed groundbreaking work on the mechanisms underlying the cellular response to infection.

The bequest by Sidney Roberts and Clara Szego Roberts reflects the couple’s backgrounds — both benefited from college scholarships — and their passion for science and the arts.

UCLA professor Kent Hill said the new insights could apply to other disease-causing parasites as well, including those that cause Chagas disease.

Ecologist Jeff Holmquist explains why there are so many painted lady butterflies in Southern California this year — and why he’s betting on this species despite climate change.

Differences in the amygdala between males and females help to explain why the two sexes behave differently as parents.

Shane Campbell-Staton says “superheroes give us the opportunity to discuss where the science meets the fiction, and how scientific innovation influences our lives.”

LL37 molecules, which are found in the immune system, play an important but unexpected role in revving up the body’s self-defense response.

“This is a pervasive, global problem.... It’s in all types of landscapes — urban, rural and even untouched environments,” says Seth Riley, a co-author of the research.

Jacobsen specializes in plant epigenetics — the study of how a gene’s function can change without changes to the DNA sequence.

The study is the most comprehensive published effort to date to identify the source of neurodegeneration across species.

The life scientists have provided the first cell “atlas” of the hippocampus — the part of the brain that helps regulate learning and memory — when it is affected by traumatic brain injury.

The research by Dr. Lin Jiang and his team included findings from computer software that assisted them in the drug selection process.

Researchers from the School of Dentistry and the David Geffen School of Medicine will use a technology created in the lab of Dr. David Wong from the dental school.

The work and day-to-day activities of UCLA anthropologist Susan Perry and her team are captured on HowtoBeAMonkey.org.

UCLA researchers have found that an often overlooked component of a cell, the extracellular matrix, can influence how much sugar the cell consumes and its migratory behavior.

“We expect several of these combinations, or more, will work much better than existing antibiotics,” said Pamela Yeh, one of the study’s two senior authors and a UCLA assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

The research provides the first direct evidence of the proteins moving through PTEX, the protein complex that transports malaria proteins into the red blood cell.

Research by UCLA and others finds that the crayfish disrupt native predators that eat mosquito larvae.