Commercial-scale Biomanufactured Melatonin is Here
April 11, 2023
For the first time, large amounts of melatonin are being made by bacteria. Engineered E. coli are feeding on glucose and churning out melatonin, the hormone that controls circadian rhythms. This mode of manufacturing is growing thanks in part to bioengineering advances made at UC San Diego. Full Story
Unveiling the genes linked to the synthesis of many complex Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs)
May 5, 2022
In a study in Nature Communications published on May 4, 2022 entitled "Elucidating Human Milk Oligosaccharide biosynthetic genes through network-based multi-omics integration," a cross-disciplinary team led by UC San Diego researchers used a systems biology approach to integrate gene expression data and HMO composition data to discover the genes linked to the synthesis of many complex HMOs. Full Story
10 Jacobs School faculty among 2021 list of most highly cited researchers in the world
November 30, 2021
Ten professors at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering are among the world’s most influential researchers in their fields. The professors, Ludmil Alexandrov, Trey Ideker, Rob Knight, Prashant Mali, Ying Shirley Meng, Shyue Ping Ong, Bernhard O. Palsson, Joseph Wang, Sheng Xu and Liangfang Zhang, are amone 51 professors and researchers at UC San Diego named in the prestigious list of Highly Cited Researchers in 2021. Full Story
UC San Diego researchers make glycomics data AI-ready
September 8, 2021
Researchers at UC San Diego have created a tool that allows glycomics datasets to be analyzed using explainable Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and other machine learning approaches. Full Story
UC San Diego professor Bernhard O. Palsson named Y.C. Fung Endowed Chair in Bioengineering
January 13, 2021
University of California San Diego professor Bernhard O. Palsson has been named the Y.C. Fung Endowed Chair in Bioengineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering. Palsson is also a professor of pediatrics, and Director of the Center for Biosustainability. Palsson’s research focuses on developing experimental and computational models of the red blood cell, E. coli, CHO cells, and several human pathogens to establish their systems biology. His Systems Biology Research Group leverages high-power computing to build interactive databases of biological information and is increasingly focused on Genome Design and Engineering. Full Story
10 Jacobs School Faculty Named in 2020 List of Highly Cited Researchers
December 8, 2020
Ten professors at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering are among the world’s most influential researchers in their fields, according to a new research citation report from the Web of Science Group. The professors, Ludmil Alexandrov, Trey Ideker, Rob Knight, Nathan E. Lewis, Prashant Mali, Ying Shirley Meng, Bernhard O. Palsson, Joseph Wang, Kun Zhang and Liangfang Zhang, are amone 52 professors and researchers at UC San Diego named in the prestigious list of Highly Cited Researchers in 2020. Full Story
Flipping a metabolic switch to slow tumor growth
August 11, 2020
The enzyme serine palmitoyl-transferase can be used as a metabolically responsive “switch” that decreases tumor growth, according to a new study by a team of San Diego scientists, who published their findings Aug. 12 in the journal Nature. By restricting the dietary amino acids serine and glycine, or pharmacologically targeting the serine synthesis enzyme phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, the team induced tumor cells to produce a toxic lipid that slows cancer progression in mice. Further research is needed to determine how this approach might be translated to patients. Full Story
Making recombinant-protein drugs cheaper
April 23, 2020
By cleaning up mammalian cell lines that produce recombinant-protein drugs, researchers forge a path to purer, cheaper drugs that treat cancer, arthritis and other complex diseases Full Story
UC San Diego researchers move closer to producing heparin in the lab
April 9, 2020
In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of California San Diego researchers moved one step closer to the ability to make heparin in cultured cells. Heparin is a potent anti-coagulant and the most prescribed drug in hospitals, yet cell-culture-based production of heparin is currently not possible. Heparin is currently produced by extracting the drug from pig intestines, which is a concern for safety, sustainability, and security reasons. Full Story
New online tool gives 3D view of human metabolic processes
February 27, 2018
A new computational resource called Recon3D provides a 3D view of genes, proteins and metabolites involved in human metabolism. Researchers used the tool to map disease-related mutations on proteins and also probed how genes and proteins change in response to certain drugs. The work provides a better understanding of disease-causing mutations and could enable researchers to discover new uses for existing drug treatments. Full Story
Model predicts how E. coli bacteria adapt under stress
October 13, 2017
Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a genome-scale model that can accurately predict how E. coli bacteria respond to temperature changes and genetic mutations. The work sheds light on how cells adapt under environmental stress and has applications in precision medicine, where adaptive cell modeling could provide patient-specific treatments for bacterial infections. Full Story
Bioengineering Professor Christian Metallo Receives 2017 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award
May 10, 2017
Christian Metallo, a bioengineering professor at the University of California San Diego, has been named a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar. Metallo is one of 13 faculty members nationwide to receive the honor from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. Full Story
UC San Diego CHO Systems Biology Center pioneers efforts to improve cell production of high-value pharmaceuticals
April 13, 2017
Optimizing CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) cell lines to accelerate biologic drug development is a goal of the CHO Systems Biology Center at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Center researchers are developing new technologies and training the next generation of cell line engineers and systems biology specialists to advance CHO cell engineering research. Full Story
Researchers develop new tools to optimize CHO cell lines for making biologic drugs
April 13, 2017
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the workhorses behind more than half of the top-selling biologics on the market today. Humira, Avastin and Rituxan are a few. Researchers at the UC San Diego CHO Systems Biology Center are developing new tools, such as genome-scale metabolic models, to optimize CHO cell production of biologic drugs in the hope of driving down their costs. Full Story
New analysis of big data sheds light on cell functions
October 26, 2016
Researchers have developed a new way of obtaining useful information from big data in biology to better understand—and predict—what goes on inside a cell. Using genome-scale models, researchers were able to integrate multiple different data sets and discovered new biological patterns among different cellular processes. Full Story
Five Ph.D. students named Siebel Scholars
September 27, 2016
Five engineering graduate students from the University of California, San Diego have been named 2017 Siebel Scholars. The Siebel Scholars program recognizes exceptional students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business, computer science, and bioengineering and provides them with a financial award for their final year of studies. Full Story
Bioengineering professor Bernhard Palsson receives 2016 International Metabolic Engineering Award
June 8, 2016
Bernhard Palsson, Galletti Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, has been named the recipient of the 2016 International Metabolic Engineering Award. The award, presented every two years by the International Metabolic Engineering Society (IMES), recognizes an outstanding career contributor to the field of metabolic engineering. Palsson is being honored for developing genome-scale metabolic modeling and simulation strategies for better understanding large metabolic and gene regulatory networks and for demonstrating application methods. The Metabolic Engineering Award and an associated lecture by Palsson will be presented on June 29, 2016 at the IMES-sponsored Metabolic Engineering 11 conference, which will take place June 26–30 in Awaji Island, Japan. Full Story
Distinguishing deadly Staph bacteria from harmless strains
June 6, 2016
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are the leading cause of skin, soft tissue and several other types of infections. Staph is also a global public threat due to the rapid rise of antibiotic-resistant strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. Yet Staph also commonly colonize our nasal passages and other body sites without harm. To better understand these bacteria and develop more effective treatments, University of California San Diego researchers examined not just a single representative Staph genome, but the "pan-genome" -- the genomes of 64 different strains that differ in where they live, the types of hosts they infect and their antibiotic resistance profiles. Full Story
No. 1 From the Start
May 26, 2016
Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have helped us understand why atherosclerosis develops and how it is impacted by blood flow. They have pioneered the development of very thin, small and flexible sensors that stick to the skin and monitor vital signs, such as the brain activity of a newborn. They also developed injectable hydrogels that can help muscle tissues heal after a heart attack. Researchers celebrated their achievements over the past five decades and looked to the future during a three-day 50th anniversary celebration May 19 to 21. Full Story
Bioengineering: Research landmarks
May 24, 2016
The faculty of the UC San Diego bioengineering department boast a number of achievements in a wide range of fields, gravitating around diagnostic tools and treatment and prevention, genomics, and regenerative medicine. Full Story
UC San Diego Scientists Receive $9.5 Million NIH Grant to Combat Antibiotic Resistance
April 12, 2016
Physicians and bioengineers at University of California, San Diego, have received a five-year, $9.5-million award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish an interdisciplinary center to define the systems biology of antibiotic resistance. The program will be led by Bernhard Palsson, Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering and Pediatrics, and Dr. Victor Nizet, professor of pediatrics and pharmacy at UC San Diego. Full Story
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New Research Centers and 200+ Graduate Student Posters to be Highlighted at Research Expo 2016
February 24, 2016
Advances coming out of new industry-focused research centers at the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering will be highlighted in faculty talks and in some of the more than 200+ graduate student posters that will be presented on April 14, 2016 at Research Expo. Full Story
Jacobs School Researchers Cited Among 'World's Most Influential Scientific Minds'
February 1, 2016
Four researchers at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego were included on the 2015 listing of “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds,” an annual compendium of “Highly Cited Researchers” by Thomson Reuters, a multinational mass media and information company. Full Story
New findings on fat cell metabolism could lead to new approaches for treating diabetes and obesity
November 16, 2015
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego report new insights into what nutrients fat cells metabolize to make fatty acids. The findings pave the way for understanding potential irregularities in fat cell metabolism that occur in patients with diabetes and obesity and could lead to new treatments for these conditions. Full Story
Researchers are on their way to predicting what side effects you'll experience from a drug
November 2, 2015
UC San Diego researchers have developed a model for predicting a drug’s side effects on different patients. The proof of concept study is aimed at determining how different individuals will respond to a drug treatment and could help assess whether a drug is suitable for a particular patient based on measurements taken from the patient’s blood. Full Story
UC San Diego Engineers on Thomson Reuters list of Highly Cited Researchers
September 24, 2015
Three professors from the University of California, San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have earned a spot on the Thomson Reuters list of Highly Cited Researchers in 2015 for exceptional impact in their fields. The three professors, Yuri Bazilevs, Bernhard Palsson and Joseph Wang are among 22 professors and researchers from UC San Diego named to the prestigious Highly Cited Researchers list. Full Story
Bioengineers identify the key genes and functions for sustaining microbial life
August 10, 2015
A new study led by bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego defines the core set of genes and functions that a bacterial cell needs to sustain life. The research, which answers the fundamental question of what minimum set of functions bacterial cells require to survive, could lead to new cell engineering approaches for E. coli and other microorganisms, the researchers said. Full Story