News & Events

A nerve cell resembles a vast tree with branches that communicate with thousands of other cells. To function, it depends on a motor protein that walks on two legs, hauling urgent cargo from the center of the cell to the faraway tips of every branch. Scientists have unveiled a new structure of this walking protein, showing how cells control it.

Molecular biology labs rarely attract crowds, but white-coated students in UC Davis’s Esau Hall recently welcomed an unusual audience. The occasion? A celebration of the BIO123 series, the new introductory biology curriculum developed and run by the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) that serves students across UC Davis. To support the new courses, several lab spaces in Esau Hall were renovated — improvements enabled by donor funds. 

Philipp Zerbe, a professor of plant biology whose research explores how plants use chemistry to communicate with and adapt to their environment, has been named associate dean for research and graduate studies for the College of Biological Sciences. He will begin serving in the role on September 1.

Sean Burgess, a professor of molecular and cellular biology whose research has advanced understanding of chromosome inheritance, reproductive biology and human developmental disorders, has been named chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB). She will begin serving in the role on September 1.

Think of friendships forged at UC Davis and you might picture first-year students gabbing in dorms, or recent graduates tossing their caps into the air, but the university fosters countless close ties — from the classroom to the boardroom. 

A shared commitment to philanthropy and scientific learning is what sparked a friendship between two longtime UC Davis supporters, Elena B. “Lin” Weaver and Deborah J. “Deb” Neff ’76.