Saving The American Chestnut: A Case Study, we explore more deeply the complicated question of using biotechnology to make forests more resistant to climate change. We look to the story of the American Chestnut as an example of how scientists are trying to bring a once-abundant tree back from near extinction through genetic engineering. We also consider the budding genome-editing technology CRISPR Cas-9 as a more precise tool with great promise but also great uncertainty. Can we do it and should we do it?

Some people harbor deleterious mutations in disease-relevant genes, yet they are completely healthy. How are scientists trying to understand these so-called ‘genetic superheros’? In this Share Your Research talk, Dr. Mohamed El-Brolosy describes his thesis research in the model organism zebrafish. Dr. El-Brolosy found that genetic compensation to deleterious mutations relies on degradation of the mutant mRNA, which triggers upregulation of compensatory genes in a homology-dependent manner. These findings can inform strategies to better understand and treat genetic diseases, many of which have limited therapeutic options.

Solid tumors, such as those in the brain, can be deadly when they expand or spread to other parts of the body. Before they spread, tumors send out molecular messages within small membranous structures known as extracellular vesicles (EVs). The proteins and small non-coding RNAs inside EVs can help tumors evade the immune system and seed new sites of growth. In this Share Your Research talk, Dr. Luz Cumba García describes her thesis research on extracellular vesicles released by aggressive brain cancers called glioblastoma. Dr. Cumba García’s work helps scientists understand the EV profiles of different glioma subtypes, as well as how the messages inside EVs help them shut off the immune system.

In order to succeed in kindergarten and beyond, children must develop language skills within their home reading environment. This environment is often influenced by the reading ability of a child’s caregivers. In this Share Your Research talk, Dr. Paige Greenwood describes her doctoral research on the association between maternal reading ability and the development of the language brain network in children. Her work showed that lower maternal reading fluency is associated with higher language network connectivity to brain regions involved in cognitive control and semantics in children. These data suggest that if there is lower frequency or quality of engagement in the home reading environment, children’s brains may overcompensate to meet their language development needs.

Chronic liver diseases affect millions of people worldwide. By understanding how liver disease progresses, we may be able to identify new therapies that can protect the liver. Dr. Chrystelle Vilfranc studied the role of BRUCE, a protein that is known to be important in several cellular processes in our bodies, in liver disease. She found that the absence of BRUCE in mouse livers led to accelerated liver disease and higher rates of liver cancer when combined with a liver damaging compound. Furthermore, hepatocellular carcinomas that develop in the absence of BRUCE in the liver appear to have increased β-catenin activity. Loss of BRUCE may be a marker of early liver disease in humans, and rescuing BRUCE expression or activity may help stop or reverse disease in the liver.

Is it possible to define life using math? Dr. Alyssa Adams’s research seeks to answer precisely this question. In their Share Your Research talk, Dr. Adams introduces the concept of open-ended evolution, and describes how they have developed mathematical models to help us understand how biological systems can innovate within a changing environment. These studies could help us to identify living systems beyond our planet that may be vastly different from those we recognize on Earth!

What does a redwood forest look like, and sound like, in the wake of a devastating fire? See a forest in a new way in this new cinematic short from the Science Communication Lab. Walk through a fire-ravaged redwood forest with experts Beatrix Jiménez, a Land Stewardship Associate at the Sempervirens Fund, Ian Bornarth, a Bay Area-based photographer documenting post-fire recovery, and Alex Jones, the UC Santa Cruz Campus Natural Reserve Manager. Their observations make visible the forces of destruction and regrowth throughout the redwoods ecosystem.

Bat species are numerous and diverse, and are found in nearly every corner of the globe. Therefore, they serve as a valuable system to study the evolution of mammalian traits. Dr. Alexa Sadier collected field and museum samples from over 50 species of bats to ask how color vision evolved in this unique group of mammals. By looking at gene expression at multiple levels - DNA, RNA, and protein - Sadier determined that different bat species have color vision capabilities adapted to their diets, and UV vision has been lost independently in multiple species through regulation of all levels of gene expression. By “catching” evolution in action, Sadier’s research has revealed important insights into the mechanisms of evolution through trait loss.

Dr. Alex Moore provides an introduction to coastal wetlands, including the functional role they play in our world, as well as the many ways that these ecosystems are used for economic and recreational activities. Dr. Moore discusses the traditional approach to restoring coastal wetlands, and the ways that these efforts can fall short of restoring functional capacity in coastal salt marshes. Incorporating consumer interactions into restoration efforts may provide an opportunity to further improve wetland restoration. Moore finishes with a brief overview of work currently underway in coastal mangroves, another important wetland ecosystem.

Trees are magnificent organisms that have evolved very slowly over millions of years, making it hard for them to adapt to rapid changes in the environment. With climate change imminent, scientists estimate up to 25% of US forests will decline over the next three decades. In this film, four researchers ponder the question ”What can we do to help forests adapt to our changing planet?” The answer is, of course, not so straightforward, and leaves us thinking more deeply about the future of forest landscapes and how we can make them more resilient.