EARTH.COM - Honeybees have been indispensable to agriculture for centuries. Their role in pollination supports food production, contributing to the growth of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and coffee. Without bees and proper hive health, many crops would struggle, leading to food shortages. But bee populations are shrinking due to bad weather, chemicals, and pests. This harms...
VENTURA COUNTY STAR - California scientists discovered a new species of manzanita, believed to grow only in places along the state’s south-central coast. And unlike its sister shrubs, its bark is gray instead of red, its discoverers said. As far as researchers know, the new species of native California shrub grows only near the Santa...
INTERESTING ENGINEERING - In light of the diminishing number of honeybees, a computer science team from UC Riverside has developed the technology to improve beehive health in commercial settings. “Over the last year, the U.S. lost over 55% of its honeybee colonies,” Boris Baer , UCR professor of entomology, told UC Riverside News. “We are...
INSIDE HIGHER ED - A pilot study at the University of California, Riverside, found that more regular testing, as opposed to high-stakes exams, can improve student outcomes in a general chemistry course and close equity gaps for historically disadvantaged learners. Assessment is a key element in higher education courses to track student learning, but some...
Two UC Riverside undergraduates working with faculty mentors at the College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) won Best Undergraduate Research Poster awards at the 2025 California Plant and Soil Conference in Visalia, CA. David Ranai, an Electrical Engineering major working with Amir Verdi, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Urban Water Management in the CNAS...
Miguel Arratia, Assistant Professor of Physics at the UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS), conceives and designs detectors for experiments for the Electron Ion Collider (EIC) in Upton, NY, which was developed to uncover the mysteries that bind the atomic nucleus together. The U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Science Advisory Committee has...
ASU NEWS - As wildfires increasingly threaten arid regions, a new conceptual framework developed by a team of researchers offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between fire, water quality and ecosystem recovery. Led by Tamara Harms , ASU School of Life Sciences alumna and associate professor at the University of California, Riverside, a collaborative...
EARTH.COM - Strange as it sounds, some scientists think the earliest life forms on Earth may have painted our planet in shades of purple rather than the green we see today. This idea, known as the Purple Earth hypothesis, suggests that single-celled organisms depended on a less complex molecule than chlorophyll to harness sunlight. NASA-supported...
STUDYFINDS - In the ongoing battle against aggressive breast cancer, light might become an unexpected ally. Scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of California, Riverside have engineered a remarkable new treatment that combines two unlikely partners, a specialized salt and near-infrared light, to target and destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue...
THE COOL DOWN - Scientists at the University of California-Riverside recently discovered a chemical that plants produce that could help prevent infections in medical patients. Science Daily reported on the findings, explaining that biofilm is a slimy bacterial layer that clings to surfaces. In a medical setting, this film can make it harder to treat...
THE WEEK - Spiders are some of the most diverse creatures on Earth. While they can be frightening, most of them are harmless and skittish. However, some spiders are dangerous — or deadly. Several species have venom that is toxic to humans and can have long-lasting, even fatal, consequences. Here are some of the scariest...
POPULAR SCIENCE - Following a 7,000-mile-long rescue mission for conservation, 33 tiny Southern Darwin’s frogs (Rhinoderma darwinii) were born at London Zoo. This species is particularly susceptible to the deadly chytrid fungus, currently impacting their native habitat in the forests and glades of Argentina and Chile. In October 2024, conservationists from the Zoological Society of...
Many may be familiar with the new dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, or CNAS. Peter Atkinson, a professor of genetics in the Department of Entomology, has been with UC Riverside for 28 years. Less familiar may be his vision, which emphasizes social mobility, collaboration with other colleges, and CNAS as the...
FAST COMPANY - As fires burned tens of thousands of acres across Los Angeles County, officials were warning residents that the air was a “toxic soup” of pollution—fueled by the fact that not only vegetation but cars, buildings, homes, and all the plastics and electronics inside them were going up in flames. But to some...
The UC Riverside College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) is pleased to announce the dates of the 2025 Science Lecture Series, with faculty presentations taking place on February 5, March 4, April 12 and May 3. Since its inception, CNAS scientists have shared their knowledge and research with students, alumni, faculty, staff and community...
Susan Wessler, Distinguished Professor and Geneticist in the UC Riverside Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, has been elected to a four-year term as Vice President at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Professor Wessler assumed her duties as Vice President last month. The position, which also chairs the NAS Council Committee on Scientific Programs...
Mary Droser, Distinguished Professor of Geology in the UC Riverside Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, likes to say that she is the luckiest and most privileged person she knows. To anyone considering her prodigious list of professional accomplishments, the eponymous head of the Droser Paleoecology Lab on campus certainly seems to have had a...
LAIST.COM - It was Jan. 11 — the first Saturday after the two huge L.A. fires broke out. The city was thick with haze and smoke; ash was twirling in the air, and somehow, despite it all, our myth-making sunset still shone through. I was heading home to El Sereno that afternoon, made a turn...
PEST CONTROL TECHNOLOGY - At PestWorld in Denver, Colo., Dong-Hwan Choe , professor, department of entomology, University of California Riverside, presented on "Wild Wild Western Drywood Termites,” reviewing geographical hotspots for drywood termites, biology of termites and research updates and findings Choe conducted in his labs at UC Riverside. Watch the Video Interview
MSN - One of the most extensively studied stellar streams within the galactic halo of the Milky Way is the GD-1 stellar stream. It is known for its long, thin structure and distinctive features. It exhibits spur and gap features that have puzzled scientists for many years. A team of researchers led by Hai-Bo Yu...
