News by Subject Biology

UC San Diego scientists have created new brain maps featuring unprecedented detail. The insights provided by the new maps are helping answer questions about blood supply and how more active parts of the brain are kept nourished versus less demanding areas.

The rush for scientific understanding of the novel coronavirus has focused on biological mechanisms: how people get infected, the response of the human body, and the fastest path to a vaccine. As an aerosol scientist, Tami Bond went a different route, convening a research team that would treat the virus like any other aerosol. This team set out to quantify the dynamics of how aerosols like viruses travel from one person to another, under different circumstances.

Lithium metal batteries have higher charge density than conventional lithium ion batteries but are prone to problems of tree-like metal dendrites, which can cause short circuits or explosions. A new paper shows that flowing ions near the cathode can prevent this problem.

Positive psychological effects associated with taking small doses of psychedelic drugs are likely the result of users' expectations, suggests a study published today in eLife.

Pesticides used in forestry may threaten species in downstream rivers and estuaries, but little is known about the extent to which this occurs. A new study by researchers at Portland State University found mussels, clams and oysters in watersheds along the Oregon Coast are exposed to pesticides used in managing forests. The results of this study, published in the journal Toxics, have implications for developing better forest management practices that are less likely to negatively affect aquatic life.