In an effort to protect and preserve the Earth’s biodiversity and kick-start an inclusive bio-economy, the World Economic Forum today announced a landmark partnership between the Earth BioGenome Project, chaired by Harris Lewin, distinguished professor at the University of California, Davis, and the Earth Bank of Codes to map the DNA of all life on Earth.
The annual “Butterfly for a Beer” contest, sponsored by Art Shapiro, distinguished professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis, gets underway on Monday, Jan. 1. The person who collects the first cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) of the year in one of three counties—Sacramento, Yolo and Solano—will receive a pitcher of beer or its equivalent.
When most people think of rare species, they think of endangered ones that humans have caused to be rare through habitat loss, poaching, climate change and other disturbances. But some species have always been rare — occurring in small densities throughout their range — throughout their evolutionary history.
UC Davis microbiologists have analyzed swabs taken by astronauts on the International Space Station – and found pretty much the same types of microbes as in a home on Earth, according to an analysis published today (Dec. 5) in the journal PeerJ.
In a paper appearing in PLOS Genetics, Professor David Begun, Department of Evolution and Ecology in the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences, compared the genomes of different fly species to understand how genes—both within and between species—evolve adaptively. He found that two fly species that diverged from a common ancestor some 50 million years ago, exhibited parallel evolution on both short- and long-term timescales.
Nature itself can be the best defense against climate change for many species — at least in the short term — according to a study published today (Nov. 22) in the journal Ecology Letters from the University of California, Davis.
In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Professor Susan Williams found that planting multiple species of seagrass accelerates marine ecosystem restoration, improving overall survival and growth of the transplanted seagrasses.
The UC Davis Office of Research this week (July 10) announced the launch of the Microbiome Special Research Program (SRP), designed to leverage and build upon the broad and deep expertise in microbiome science across the university.
A study published May 30 in the open access journal PLOS Biology shows that over time, strategic releases of mosquitoes infected with the dengue-suppressing bacteria may be enough to allow the virus-resistant insects to spread across large cities.
There’s a distinctly fishy feel to Peter Wainwright’s office. Books on a side table have titles like this one: Basslets, Dottybacks and Hawkfishes. Fish skeletons and skulls adorn boxes and bookshelves. A painting of tropical ocean fish hangs on the wall.
Wainwright will be talking about all this and more on Tuesday, May 9, when he presents the annual Faculty Research Lecture. The lecture is the highest award presented by the faculty of the University of California, Davis, to one of their colleagues
