News from the College of Sciences
Meet crAssphage, The Virus That You’re Probably Carrying
A study released today in Nature Microbiology reveals patterns of a virus that half the people in the world are carrying. The collaboration of 117 scientists across the globe focuses on crAssphage, a virus that feeds on human gut bacteria.
Change Agents: Education Specialists a Growing Force at CSU Campuses
“With SFES as change agents, we are able to produce students who can reason better, solve problems we can’t even imagine exist today, and transfer their understanding of science to everyday problems…”
Stepping Up By Looking Back
“Explore and really find out what you like to do versus what the normal thing is,” Mathur said in a telephone interview from her office as bioinformatics software test manager at Guardant Health.
Professor Battling Life-Threatening Disease Surprises His Students
After being diagnosed with lung cancer, SDSU virology professor Roland Wolkowicz was determined to continue teaching but didn’t anticipate he could attend his students’ commencement celebration. Despite Wolkowicz’s battle, he unexpectedly arrived to surprise his students during their May 18th commencement at Viejas Arena.
First-Ever Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center Opens
“There’s a big illusion that when tobacco smoke disappears, we’re safe,” said SDSU psychology professor Georg Matt, director of the resource center. “Unfortunately, some of the most toxic compounds clinch to surfaces. They get embedded in carpets, they coat walls, they penetrate into walls. They become part of the indoor environment.”
Astronomers Discover Third Planet in the Kepler-47 Circumbinary System
Astronomers have discovered a third planet in the Kepler-47 system, securing the system’s title as the most interesting of the binary-star worlds. Using data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope, a team of researchers, led by astronomers at San Diego State University, detected the new Neptune-to-Saturn-size planet orbiting between two previously known planets.
Bacteria Surrounding Coral Reefs Change in Synchrony, Even Across Great Distance
“Investigations of day-night rhythms of reef processes are required to holistically understand the functional roles of microbial players in these ecosystems,” said Linda Wegley Kelly…
How Seals Took to the Seas
Sarah Kienle, a comparative biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, measuring the skull of a northern elephant seal. Photo Credit: Carolyn Lagattuta/UC Santa Cruz By comparing the bones of ancient and contemporary seals, researchers say a...
‘Ninja’ Kangaroo Rats Kick Rattlesnakes In The Head Faster Than You Can Blink!
“Our work, which, to our knowledge, is the first to describe the kinematics of evasive leaps by bipedal rodents avoiding actual attacks from predators, supports the idea that bipedalism may have been favored in kangaroo rats because it allows for the rapid…
From India to SDSU: A New Shark Genome
The work in an EIS lab could help protect a species whose numbers are dwindling. By Jeff Ristine Using a tiny tissue sample collected from one of the largest fishing ports in India, a San Diego State University laboratory has developed a detailed...
Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve is Critical Corridor for Wildlife Habitat
“Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve is one of the most critical corridors for wildlife and habitat biodiversity, we connect the Palomar Mountains to the East, and Santa Ana Mountain to the West for wildlife. Wildlife and animals use the river valley as a highway,” 20-year reserve manager Pablo Bryant said.
SDSU Discovery May Lower Cost of Making Pharmaceuticals
The NSF funds chemistry professor Yong Yan’s groundbreaking work on drug synthesis.By Kellie Woodhouse A San Diego State University chemistry professor has made a discovery that could one day lower the cost of hundreds of prescription medications.Yong Yan...
Gut Feeling
For the final, critical step— purification of the phage cocktail—Strathdee turned to San Diego State University and the research team in the Viral Information Institute (VII). Their translational research applies knowledge from basic biology and clinical trials to techniques and tools that address critical medical needs. After receiving phage therapy, Patterson recovered.
The Heart of Research
“Dr. Glembotski is exactly the kind of professor that sets SDSU apart,” said Stephen Welter, vice president of Graduate and Research Affairs. “His critical research advancing the field of heart disease, combined with his commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists, is a true credit to this institution.”
First Evidence Discovered of a Gigantic Remnant Around an Exploding Star
Crosshairs indicate the location of the nova studied. Remnant can be seen as a partial arc to the right of the nova. SDSU professor helps discover precursors to the tools we use to map the universe.By Lainie Fraser A San Diego State University...
SDSU Research Suggests Process for Lowering Cost of Hydrogen Fuel
“This is an exciting discovery for our group,” Gu said, whose research is supported by the National Science Foundation. “We recovered hydrogen from water using a low-temperature, low-pressure method with small-scale equipment in the lab.
New SDSU Study Examines Role of Sea Urchins on California Kelp
“Healthy kelp forests are important both economically and ecologically along our coast. They act as nurseries and vital habitat for valuable fishery species, recreation sites for kayakers, free divers, and scuba divers, and serve as the base of rocky reef food webs,” said Robert Dunn…
Promising Compound Draws Grant for SDSU Heart Institute
“In 2019 we hope to expand and extend the results that we’ve gotten so far and do studies in larger animals, (where) the hearts are more like a human heart than the mouse heart,” said Glembotski, whose grant application achieved a rare perfect score from its NIH review panel. “Once we’ve completed those studies…