ISG Associate Director, Dr. Jessica Lynch Alfaro, was interviewed by the NY Times about her recently published article on capuchin monkey anointing– or fur rubbing– as part of a science story on chemical defense in mammals. The science story, “Warm and Furry, but They Pack a Toxic Punch” appeared on the NY Times website on January 30, 2012 and in the printed…
The UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics held its Fall Retreat this past September. During the event, ISG Staff, Faculty, and Fellows presented on the direction of the Institute, their roles at the Institute, and their ongoing research. It was an opportunity to become reacquainted with one another, updated on the goings-on at ISG, and be introduced to the new…
ISG Postdoctoral Fellow Jennifer Smith has been named an AAUW Postdoctoral Fellow for 2011-2012. All of us at the Institute congratulate her, and know that her research will advance her field! [excerpt from press, full press here] AAUW American Fellowships are awarded to highly qualified women scholars completing doctoral dissertations, conducting postdoctoral research, or finishing research for publication. Since 1881, AAUW…
A 15-year-old AIDS problem was recently solved in just three weeks using a new online game site that allows users to contribute in decoding complex proteins. Fold.it users incredibly modeled the enzyme, Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (M-PMV) retroviral protease, in a manner that matched crystalline structures observed by scientists. Fold.it was conceived and designed by University of Washington researchers Seth Cooper,…
Hannah Landecker will be giving a keynote lecture entitled “Eating and Aging” at the workshop “The History of Biogerontology” hosted by the Center for Biology & Society at Arizona State University.
UCLA life scientists and colleagues have produced one of the first high-resolution genetic maps for African American populations. A genetic map reveals the precise locations across the genome where DNA from a person’s father and mother have been stitched together through a biological process called “recombination.” This process results in new genetic combinations that are then passed on to the…