Research

Addressing the Quantum Pipeline

According to researchers, alumni and students in the University of California, Davis, College of Engineering, it's a "sizzling" and an "exhilarating time" to be involved with quantum information sciences. Not just because it is grabbing headlines and inspiring blockbuster movie storylines but because there is a new surge of new opportunities related to quantum information sciences for students at UC Davis. 

Silicon Sponge Could Lead to New Photodetectors

Photonics, which operate based on particles of light (photons), are increasingly important for applications such as optical communications, connections between electronic and optical networks, and imaging. But silicon, the go-to semiconductor for making electronic chips, is not a great material for photonic applications because it shows poor absorption of near-infrared light compared to other semiconductors such as gallium arsenide.

Sandia National Laboratories Honors Students for Innovative Monitor

Biomedical engineering seniors at the University of California, Davis, have received the 2023 Sandia Engineering Design Award for a capstone project that may transform how doctors treat elevated intracranial pressure, a severe condition where pressure continues to develop in someone’s head due to a tumor, brain infection or neurological injury.

NIH Awards Priya Shah $2.8 Million to Research How Zika Virus Causes Brain-Related Birth Defects

For most people, contracting Zika virus, a flavivirus carried by mosquitos, is akin to getting any mildly inconvenient virus. You might get a fever and a rash, and it's gone in a few days. But for pregnant people, there is a roughly 4% chance that a bite from a mosquito with Zika virus could have life-altering effects on developing fetuses in the form of microcephaly, a neurological condition that indicates an under-developed brain.  

UC Davis Professor Developing New Bioplastic Technology from Dairy Byproducts and Food Waste to Address Plastic Pollution

For decades, Ruihong Zhang, a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, has been studying biological conversion of food waste to explore solutions that could address environmental challenges. Her recent research on biodegradable plastics using dairy byproducts may reduce the global level of plastic pollution.

Alumni Spotlight: Abby Niesen, M.S. '21, Ph.D. '23

UC Davis doctoral graduate Abby Niesen, M.S. '21, Ph.D. '23 is arguably one of the most productive doctoral students in the history of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and quite possibly the College of Engineering, according to faculty who have been associated with UC Davis for nearly 50 years.

Bringing COVID-19 Data into Focus

Using an approach based on computer vision technology, researchers can work back from COVID-19 mortality data to see how infection rates changed on the day a lockdown or similar measure was introduced. The approach could be generally useful in future epidemics and pandemics.

'Lava Lamp' Vesicles Show How Cells Could Self-organize

The inside of a living cell is crowded with large, complex molecules. New research on how these molecules could spontaneously organize themselves could further our understanding of how cells manage their essential biochemistry in the crowded space.