Media Watch
Researchers quantify, characterize and identify functions of collagen, its subtypes
Technology -
In an article published recently in Nature Reviews Materials, UCI biomedical engineering researchers provide an exhaustive description of the superfamily of this biomaterial, which includes 28 subtypes. “Collagen – which has known connections to maladies including cancer, arthritis and more than 40 hereditary diseases – has been the focus of intensive biomedical research for centuries,” said co-author Kyriacos Athanasiou, Distinguished Professor of biomedical engineering and Henry Samueli Chair in Engineering at UCI. Read More
Startups & innovations – Financing
Orange County Business Journal -
The University of California, Irvine received $18 million from the National Science Foundation to support research in materials discovery for the technology and life sciences sectors. Research will focus on the development of high strength materials for aerospace, automotive, national defense and space exploration; as well as the study of “living” materials that could improve wound healing or tissue growth. Funds will support a division of the UCI Materials Research Institute …. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.] Read More
UCI researchers win $529 million in grants and contracts for fiscal 2019-20
News Medical Life Sciences -
From cutting-edge research and clinical trials focused on cancer care to creating a new center devoted to protecting personal data privacy, University of California, Irvine scholars, scientists and physicians are blazing new paths to help change the world. … “This research funding milestone surpasses our campus strategic plan goal of $500 million while accelerating UCI's ascent among its Association of American Universities peers as a world-class research university,” [says UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman]. Read More
UCI reports blockbuster year for research funding, receives $529 million
Orange County Register -
UCI netted $529 million in grants and contracts for research last year, which “surpasses our campus strategic plan goal of $500 million while accelerating UCI’s ascent among its Association of American Universities peers as a world-class research university,” UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a press release. Among the areas that have won funding are health sciences fields, which include research on cancer and Alzheimer’s disease; and new centers focused on materials research and protection of personal data, both supported by the National Science Foundation.[Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.] Read More
Startups & Innovations – Coronavirus updates
Orange County Business Journal -
Nanommune Inc. and Velox Biosystems Inc., both of Irvine, have partnered to offer a COVID-19 immune profiling service to researchers and clinicians “to accelerate the use and adoption of microarray tests,” the companies said. …Nanommune spun out of the University of California, Irvine in March. It was founded by Phil Felgner, the director of the Vaccine R&D Center, who developed a series of tests for COVID-19. Testing platform developer Velox Biosystems also counts ties to UC Irvine; its co-founder Weian Zhao is a three-time entrepreneur with startups involved in virus detection, cancer diagnosis and stem cell therapeutics. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.] Read More
Emerging technologies for tracking COVID-19 in higher ed
EdTech -
In a similar vein, University of California, Irvine researchers developed an open-source codebase for a QR code–based app called TrackCOVID, which alerts people if they’ve interacted with infected people. The QR codes will be posted in high-traffic areas, such as university campuses, grocery stores and public transportation hubs. “If you went to the same place as someone who was exposed within a certain time frame, you will be notified that you may have been exposed,” says Tyler Yasaka, co-developer of the app. Read More
Meyer Shank Racing preparing for first double header event
Motorsport Week -
Mario Farnbacher’s co-driver Matt McMurry spent the months since the season opener focusing on his school work, with the 22-year-old finishing his aerospace engineering degree at the University of California. “I’ve been busy at home finishing my last quarter at the University of California, Irvine,” McMurry said. … “Through college, I was mostly involved in the automotive aspects of aerospace engineering,” he added. … “Automotive engineering and race engineering have always been an interest of mine. Long term plans, I’m still focusing on racing. Now that I’m finally done with school, I can sort of focus all my efforts on racing, which is kind of a nice feeling.” Read More
The Aquarium's Free Lectures Make a Splash
NBC Los Angeles -
William Cooper, a professor of engineering at University of California, Irvine, will talk about visiting a reserve full of butterflies in Costa Rica during his July 1 talk …. Read More
Desert microbes mine for water
EOS -
The puzzle was cracked by a team led by David Kisailus, who studies biomimicry and nanostructured materials at the University of California, Irvine, and Jocelyne DiRuggiero, a microbiologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Their results are part of a U.S. Army–funded study and were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America last month. Read More
UCI Researchers Lead $10M Study of Internet Personal Data Privacy
Orange County Business Journal -
“We can do things better going forward,” said principal investigator Athina Markopoulou, professor and chairperson of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UCI. “With COVID we’re even more aware of data collection,” she told the Business Journal on June 16. Businesses and governments are stepping up monitoring and tracing to prevent further coronavirus outbreaks. [Subscription required, you can request an electronic copy of the article by sending an email to communications@uci.edu.] Read More