Immune Cells Get Transformed into Fungus-Fighting Nanoparticles
July 9, 2026
Nanoparticles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. The antifungal nanoparticles target Candida albicans, a fungus responsible for oral and vaginal yeast infections as well as life-threatening bloodstream infections. In mice with severe Candida infections, the nanoparticles greatly reduced the amount of fungus in major organs and significantly improved survival. Because the nanoparticles physically damage the fungal cell, researchers believe it may be much harder for the fungus to evolve resistance. Full Story
Surgeons Use Teleoperated Humanoid Robots to Perform Live Surgery – a World First
July 8, 2026
For the first time, two teleoperated humanoid robots have been used to complete two surgeries during a preclinical trial, researchers report in the July 8 issue of the journal Nature. The work is the result of a collaboration between a team of engineers and a team of surgeons at the University of California San Diego. Full Story
Spent EV Batteries Get Second Life as Higher-Performance Battery Material
July 1, 2026
Engineers have developed an environmentally-friendly method to upcycle material from spent batteries into higher-performing parts. Their method transforms the cathode from LFP batteries — used in EVs and energy grids — into one that stores more energy. It worked on various types of LFP batteries from different manufacturers. Full Story
UC San Diego Researchers Receive ARPA-H Award to Make Birth Safer
June 23, 2026
Researchers in obstetrics and engineering at UC San Diego were awarded up to $10.4 million from ARPA-H to enable more accurate identification of fetuses who are at risk of low oxygen during labor, as part of a larger effort to make birth safer in the U.S. Full Story
New Data Center, Student Collaboration Space Put People at the Heart of Computer Science
June 11, 2026
The Computer Science and Engineering Department at UC San Diego unveiled a new on-site data center that will accelerate computing and artificial intelligence research advances, while giving graduate students and other computer science researchers valuable, hands-on access to cutting-edge computing infrastructure. Full Story
A Small Optical Component Could Change How Telescopes View the Sun
June 10, 2026
A new telescope technology — measuring just six millimeters in diameter — could improve how future space missions study and monitor the Sun while simplifying onboard hardware and reducing costs. The technology is built from a metasurface, which is a device engineered with nanoscale structures that manipulate light in unusual ways. In tests at the Dunn Solar Telescope in New Mexico, the metasurface captured scientifically meaningful data of the Sun's magnetic fields and sunspots. Full Story