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Category Archives: Biology
RoboBees: The Future of Food and Society?
By Tannavee Kumar, Genetics & Genomics, ’20
Author’s Note
Going into my research on fully automated and autonomous bee swarms, I was aware that there was much controversy on how we as a society should address and work to solve the problem of the drastically declining honeybee population. Upon coming across the large initiative that a team at Harvard University is spearheading, I was interested whether robotic bees are the future of agriculture and moreover part of the tidal wave of automation.
The Relationship Between Genetic Diversity and Disturbance in the Eelgrass Species Zostera marina
By Ryan Green
Author’s note:
This piece was written for my upper division university writing class, Writing in the Sciences. We were required to write a review article on a topic of our choice, and I chose the relationship between genetic diversity and disturbance of Zostera marina. I decided to pursue this topic because I was concurrently working in a molecular ecology eelgrass lab on campus, and I believed to get the most out of this lab experience I should have a good grasp of the current research that is already published and what still needs to be published within the subject. I hope this review gives readers a better understanding of where we now stand in eelgrass molecular ecology research, just as it did for myself.
Polylactic Acid as a Biodegradable Composite: A Review
By Madison Dougherty, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‘18
Author’s Note: I wrote this paper for my UWP 104E class. I have always been interested in sustainability, and this paper provided me with an excellent outlet for researching methods related to environmentally friendly packaging options. In recent years, I have become increasingly aware of the harshness of plastics and other synthetic polymers on the planet. This paper serves to educate others about ways to improve the overall sustainability of the plastic industry.
Could a DNA Sample Reconstruct a Face?
By Anna Kirillova, Cell Biology, ’19
Author’s Note: I came across facial genetics in one of my classes and immediately decided to write a review about it. To my surprise, the field was not as developed as I’ve expected it to be, but with the rise of facial recognition technologies, this area of research will be growing in the near future. In this review, I explained basic concepts and recent advancements in the field of human facial genetics.
Addressing Eutrophication: Algae as Wastewater Treatment and Potential Biofuel Source
By Sara Ludwick, Environmental Science & Management, ’19
Author’s note: In my Global Environmental Interactions class, we learned a lot about nitrogen and phosphorous as essential elements, but also as sources of eutrophication which threatens life in the ocean by disrupting food chains and causing anoxia. I decided to write a paper about the potential for microalgae to be cultivated as a way to remove those nutrient inputs from the water before it reaches the ocean, changing their role from the source of eutrophication to a possible solution.
Solving the Organ Shortage
By Sofie Bates
Author’s Note: At the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting this year, I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Pablo Ross from UC Davis present in a panel discussion on gene editing to create xenogeneic organs. I wrote this article to highlight interesting research that is being done by researchers around the country and right here at UC Davis. I hope that this article will explain xenogeneic organ production—a revolutionary development in the future of medicine—and push readers to think about related bioethical issues and future directions.
Understanding the Tumultuous Trajectory of a Concept in The Gene
By Daniel Erenstein, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, ‘19
Author’s Note: In my Writing in Science (UWP 104E) course, Dr. Brenda Rinard assigned us a review of a classic book in science. My interests in social history and the genetics of disease inspired me to read Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Gene: An Intimate History. The following book review of The Gene is intended for undergraduate biology majors at UC Davis and beyond. I wrote this review to persuade my peers of the book’s instructional and thought-provoking value. My hope, too, is that readers of this review are encouraged by the pursuit of knowledge presented in The Gene’s stories to transform their passion for science into future innovations.
A Conversation with Dr. Kate Scow: “I just totally lost my heart to soil”
By Sara Ludwick, Environmental Science and Management, 2019
Author’s note: I read about Dr. Scow’s research while looking for a faculty member to interview for a class assignment. She is a professor of Soil Science and Microbial Ecology at UC Davis, and her research emphasizes microorganisms’ roles in providing ecosystems services. Dr. Scow was featured in an article on a UC Davis website about carbon sequestration as a tactic to address climate change, and from there I discovered Russell Ranch, where she serves as Director (1). I immediately became interested in the variety of experiments conducted on the experimental farm, and began to learn more about Dr. Scow’s work. Her work is extensive; in addition to directing Russell Ranch, she actively works with Ugandan smallholder farms on irrigation. I sat down with Dr. Scow to discuss her passion for soil, what her research has taught her, how her relationship with soil has evolved, and what other people can learn from the powerful ecosystem that lives underground. (more…)
Cell-free DNA Testing as the Next Generation of Cancer Screening
By: Anna Kirillova, Cell Biology, ‘19
Author’s Note:
“This article was brought to my attention in my Human Genetics class (MCB 162) when we were discussing novel methodologies for diagnosis of fetal trisomies (Down Syndrome). The purpose of this review is to highlight how basic biology can translate into significant advancements in disease diagnosis. I hope that the reader will be intrigued by the new genetic technologies and will proceed onto reading the original research article using this review as a guide.”
Ants Who Farm: The Evolution of Fungal Obligate Symbiosis
By Wren Greaney, History major, Biological Sciences & Community Development minor, ’17
Author’s note:
“I started to look into entomological research as a result of learning about insect diversity in ENT100. I came across a study regarding ants’ fascinating advanced ability to cultivate fungi. I thought it was incredible that we have agriculture in common with those tiny insects, and became interested in how ants are similar to and perhaps more advanced than humans in some ways.”