Latest News

New Research Identifies Protein Integral to Sperm Development and Male Fertility

Early in the development of sperm, a strange event happens: the X and Y chromosomes condense into tight packages and are sequestered away from the other 44 human chromosomes. If any part of this process goes awry, the cells cannot mature into sperm. Researchers in the College of Biological Sciences have now identified an important link in this process — a little-known protein called ATF7IP2.

Defects in DNA Packaging May Drive Age-Related Decline in Fertility

Yasuhisa Munakata, a postdoctoral fellow in the College of Biological Sciences, has received a grant to study how egg cells in the ovary change over time. “Our goal is to understand female reproductive aging, and why fertility rapidly declines starting in the mid-30s,” says Satoshi Namekawa, a professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, in whose lab Munakata works.

New Findings Shed Light on Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Targets

Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and only 12% of patients survive five years after being diagnosed. Severe pancreatic cancer is associated with metastasis, and it is this spread of secondary tumors that usually causes death, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that drive metastasis.

Understanding Neutrophil Decision-Making: How Immune Cells Prioritize Competing Signals

Neutrophils, the primary foot soldiers of the immune system, swarm to sites of infection and inflammation but are often bombarded with multiple signals. So how do neutrophils prioritize where to swarm when faced with competing calls to action? A new study from researchers in College of Biological Sciences shows that one way that neutrophils achieve prioritization is by switching off responses to lower-priority signals while sustaining responses to high-priority signals.

Experiments in Yeast Hint at Possible Origins of Cancer and Autism

Cancer often starts with the reshuffling of DNA—akin to scrambling the pages of a dictionary. Exactly how this happens has long been a mystery. But researchers in the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences have now arrived at one promising explanation.

Heyer Lab Safety Award Winner

The laboratory of Dr. Wolf-Dietrich Heyer conducts fundamental research in basic cancer biology, is this year's Safety Award Winner in the College of Biological Sciences.

101 Years of Microbiology at UC Davis

2023 signals the 101st year of microbiology at UC Davis. From the discipline’s humble beginnings as a one-person research and teaching unit in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, microbiology at Davis has grown and diversified.

Using Machine Learning to Detect Coronavirus Threats

An artificial intelligence model that can identify coronaviruses capable of infecting humans has been developed by a team of biologists, mathematicians and physicists, including professor Mariel Vazquez from the department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of California, Davis

Graduating Senior Awards 2023

On June 8, the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics hosted a lunch event to celebrate and honor the achievements of our department’s graduating seniors.

Please Help Support the ASM Club

On Friday, April 14th, UC Davis will launch its 7th annual Give Day, which is a 29-hour online giving campaign to raise funds for critical programs and services across campus.

Understanding Why BRCA2 Is Linked to Cancer Risk

A new study led by Stephen Kowalczykowski, a distinguished professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, shows precisely how the gene BRCA2, linked to susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer, functions to repair damaged DNA.