UC Science Today

Researchers from 50 institutions are coming together to form the Unified Microbiome Initiative – an ambitious effort that aims to develop next-generation technologies to delve into microbiomes, which are the complex ecosystems of microorganisms. One of the nation’s leading experts in the field is Rob Knight of the University of California, San Diego. He says one of the most exciting aspects of the microbiome is how interdisciplinary it is.

"You’re always learning new things, always having to come up with new concepts. Just within my lab, for example, we have people from computer science backgrounds, from ecology backgrounds, from molecular biology, from microbiology, from electrical engineering – and bringing all of those talents together and then having them interface with people at companies to end users of the technology, there is really a tremendous potential to transform how we think about our microbes, how we think of ourselves as humans in general given how so many of our genes are not what we would traditionally think of as human in origin."

In an effort to advance STEM research and education, the National Science Foundation is hosting new workshops called the Ideas Lab, which bring together diverse groups of scientists to form innovative research projects. A recent workshop awarded a total of 15 million dollars to three teams of scientists to crack the olfactory code. Psychologist Lucia Jacobs of the University of California, Berkeley is part of a team of seven principle investigators that received 6.3 million dollars.

"So it's a very diverse group. I mean it’s not just throwing out individual grants, which would be wonderful, but it’s actually creating three teams who are going to be working together synergistically across disciplines."

Jacobs says the team, which includes mathematicians and cell neuroscientists, will study how humans and animals navigate using smell.

"We've got one goal and we're doing it from seven different perspectives. So that's really exciting. That could not have happened under any other grant mechanism."

In an effort to advance STEM research and education, the National Science Foundation is hosting new workshops called the Ideas Lab, which bring together diverse groups of scientists to form innovative research projects. A recent workshop awarded a total of 15 million dollars to three teams of scientists to crack the olfactory code. Psychologist Lucia Jacobs of the University of California, Berkeley is part of a team of seven principle investigators that received 6.3 million dollars.

"So it's a very diverse group. I mean it’s not just throwing out individual grants, which would be wonderful, but it’s actually creating three teams who are going to be working together synergistically across disciplines."

Jacobs says the team, which includes mathematicians and cell neuroscientists, will study how humans and animals navigate using smell.

"We've got one goal and we're doing it from seven different perspectives. So that's really exciting. That could not have happened under any other grant mechanism."

In an effort to advance STEM research and education, the National Science Foundation is hosting new workshops called the Ideas Lab, which bring together diverse groups of scientists to form innovative research projects. A recent workshop awarded a total of 15 million dollars to three teams of scientists to crack the olfactory code. Psychologist Lucia Jacobs of the University of California, Berkeley is part of a team of seven principle investigators that received 6.3 million dollars.

"So it's a very diverse group. I mean it’s not just throwing out individual grants, which would be wonderful, but it’s actually creating three teams who are going to be working together synergistically across disciplines."

Jacobs says the team, which includes mathematicians and cell neuroscientists, will study how humans and animals navigate using smell.

"We've got one goal and we're doing it from seven different perspectives. So that's really exciting. That could not have happened under any other grant mechanism."

Atmospheric scientist V. ‘Ram’ Ramanathan of the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography was part of the California contingency in Paris during the UN Climate Change Summit. Ramanathan has predicted a significant increase in global warming within the next two decades, but says there’s plenty that can be done now to ‘bend the curve’ – including practical solutions that are already being implemented at UC San Diego.

"We generate our own power by solar, fuel cells and using methane from water treatment plants. They are off-the-shelf technologies. There is no reason these cannot be deployed by the rest of the nation and for the planet."

Ramanathan, a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican, had a quick audience with Pope Francis in the parking lot of the Vatican last year.

"So, I told him basically to talk about climate change in his speeches and urge people to be better stewards of the planet. Ten days later he made this major pronouncement and talked about climate change and warned people if you destroy nature, it will destroy you."

Atmospheric scientist V. ‘Ram’ Ramanathan of the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography was part of the California contingency in Paris during the UN Climate Change Summit. Ramanathan has predicted a significant increase in global warming within the next two decades, but says there’s plenty that can be done now to ‘bend the curve’ – including practical solutions that are already being implemented at UC San Diego.

"We generate our own power by solar, fuel cells and using methane from water treatment plants. They are off-the-shelf technologies. There is no reason these cannot be deployed by the rest of the nation and for the planet."

Ramanathan, a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican, had a quick audience with Pope Francis in the parking lot of the Vatican last year.

"So, I told him basically to talk about climate change in his speeches and urge people to be better stewards of the planet. Ten days later he made this major pronouncement and talked about climate change and warned people if you destroy nature, it will destroy you."

Atmospheric scientist V. ‘Ram’ Ramanathan of the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography was part of the California contingency in Paris during the UN Climate Change Summit. Ramanathan has predicted a significant increase in global warming within the next two decades, but says there’s plenty that can be done now to ‘bend the curve’ – including practical solutions that are already being implemented at UC San Diego.

"We generate our own power by solar, fuel cells and using methane from water treatment plants. They are off-the-shelf technologies. There is no reason these cannot be deployed by the rest of the nation and for the planet."

Ramanathan, a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican, had a quick audience with Pope Francis in the parking lot of the Vatican last year.

"So, I told him basically to talk about climate change in his speeches and urge people to be better stewards of the planet. Ten days later he made this major pronouncement and talked about climate change and warned people if you destroy nature, it will destroy you."

A new study at the University of California, Berkeley found that, if left alone, climate change could severely reshape the global economy by the end of the century. The researchers based their results on the finding that economies grow more slowly above or below an optimal productivity temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, or 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Study leader Solomon Hsiang (Sh-i-ahng) explains.

"Given the finding that there’s this optimum temperature and that many countries are warmer than it, we simulate the world going forward and we ask how economies will evolve as the planet heats up. And what we find it that economic productivity for most of the temperate countries and the tropical and subtropical countries declines relative to what it otherwise would be in a world where we allow climate change to occur unmitigated."

Hsiang says he hopes the study reveals the cost of climate change when making investments for global energy solutions.

"So we might have been undervaluing the climate which would make us not as willing to spend on it but what we’re finding is that actually we should probably be willing to spend more on it today."

A new study at the University of California, Berkeley found that, if left alone, climate change could severely reshape the global economy by the end of the century. The researchers based their results on the finding that economies grow more slowly above or below an optimal productivity temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, or 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Study leader Solomon Hsiang (Sh-i-ahng) explains.

"Given the finding that there’s this optimum temperature and that many countries are warmer than it, we simulate the world going forward and we ask how economies will evolve as the planet heats up. And what we find it that economic productivity for most of the temperate countries and the tropical and subtropical countries declines relative to what it otherwise would be in a world where we allow climate change to occur unmitigated."

Hsiang says he hopes the study reveals the cost of climate change when making investments for global energy solutions.

"So we might have been undervaluing the climate which would make us not as willing to spend on it but what we’re finding is that actually we should probably be willing to spend more on it today."

A new study at the University of California, Berkeley found that, if left alone, climate change could severely reshape the global economy by the end of the century. The researchers based their results on the finding that economies grow more slowly above or below an optimal productivity temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, or 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Study leader Solomon Hsiang (Sh-i-ahng) explains.

"Given the finding that there’s this optimum temperature and that many countries are warmer than it, we simulate the world going forward and we ask how economies will evolve as the planet heats up. And what we find it that economic productivity for most of the temperate countries and the tropical and subtropical countries declines relative to what it otherwise would be in a world where we allow climate change to occur unmitigated."

Hsiang says he hopes the study reveals the cost of climate change when making investments for global energy solutions.

"So we might have been undervaluing the climate which would make us not as willing to spend on it but what we’re finding is that actually we should probably be willing to spend more on it today."