There is, as the United Nations notes, a global food crisis in 68 countries, with 318 million people facing acute hunger. Fortunately, some researchers in the US are turning their attention to finding ways to give plants a fighting chance against drought and disease.

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Category: Science

Tags: UC San Diego, Plants, Crops, Agriculture, Antibacterial

Terrified of bloodwork, needles, and clinic bills? Science is getting closer and closer to collecting our health data in fast, affordable, and pain-free ways – the latest example being a cup sticker that measures vitamin C levels in the user's sweat.

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Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Sweat sensor, UC San Diego, Vitamins and minerals

Some things we eat or drink raise our risk of deadly diseases like heart disease or cancer. But, strangely, a recent paper argues that, once we have those diseases, some of the same factors can show the opposite association with survival in observational studies. This survival twist – described in the paper as a risk–survival paradox and dubbed “Cuomo’s Paradox” – raises questions about how prevention findings translate to survivorship. It doesn't, by itself, overturn current nutritional guidance.

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Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Chronic illness, Nutrition, Risk factors, Survival, UC San Diego

People with cannabis use disorder had more than triple the odds of developing oral cancer, a large five-year study found, raising red flags about the carcinogenic risks of heavy cannabis use, especially in its smoked form.

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Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Cannabis, Drugs, Cancer, UC San Diego

When it comes to dental checkups, no one likes having their gums poked with the periodontal probe. Well, they may soon no longer have to, thanks to a gum-assessing toothbrush-shaped mini ultrasound transducer.

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Category: Medical Devices, Medical Innovations, Body and Mind

Tags: UC San Diego, American Chemical Society, Teeth, Dental, Ultrasound, Medical Imaging

Soft corals produce diterpenoids, chemicals that could be used to treat human disease. Now, scientists have identified the genes that make these important chemicals, opening the door to creating a limitless supply that can be used to produce and test new drugs.

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Category: Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind

Tags: Coral, Biotherapeutics, Diterpenoids, Cancer, UC San Diego

If you're hoping that reef-restoring coral larvae will settle down in damaged reefs, you can't just sit around and wait for it to happen. You have to get out there and entice the larvae, which is exactly what a new algae-based gel is designed to do.

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Category: Environment, Science

Tags: UC San Diego, Scripps Research Institute, Coral, Algae, Hydrogels

Metformin, a drug used as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, has been associated with a 30% lower risk of death, according to a new study. The research adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that the common drug may possess anti-aging properties.

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Category: Aging Well, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Aging, Healthy aging, Type 2 diabetes, UC San Diego

Self-care life hacks, claimed to improve well-being, often go viral on social media platforms like TikTok, sometimes without scientific backing. Experts have shared their opinion on six popular behaviors, from bed rotting to sleepmaxxing, so you know what’s actually good.

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Category: Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind

Tags: Social media, Well-being, mental health, UC San Diego

For some common medical conditions, timing is everything when it comes to taking medications. Now, a customizable capsule engineered at UC San Diego could simplify complicated dosing schedules thanks to a unique staged release system.

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Category: Body and Mind

Tags: Parkinson's Disease, Medication, Pills, UC San Diego, Drugs, Drug delivery, Pharmaceuticals