School of Natural Sciences

Image
zebra fish

New Method of Mapping Proteins Offers Undergraduate Students New Opportunities

Research on cell development has led not only to a more efficient way to map proteins in living cells but also tapped into the research capabilities of UC Merced undergraduate students and brought about a new learning opportunity that could shape their futures. Researchers know a protein’s function

Image
From left to right: Professors Tao Ye, Hui Cai, Sayantani Ghosh and Michael Scheibner are core members of the VISION team.

NSF Grant Opens Opportunities for Students in Materials Research

A group of faculty members at UC Merced has been awarded a $1 million seed grant from the National Science Foundation to form a research collaborative to expand participation and access to materials, research-focused facilities, education, training and careers. The Venture for Innovation in Self

Image
Nearly 140 faculty and students from universities across the nation attended the three-day conference MERCURY held at UC Merced

Campus Hosts Computational Chemistry Conference

UC Merced was the site of the 22nd Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate computational chemistRY ( MERCURY) Conference held in mid-July. “MERCURY is delighted to have the University of California, Merced, host this year’s annual meeting on the campus,” said Furman University

Image
Lions consume a giraffe carcass in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.

Researchers Accurately Model Animals’ Hunting, Scavenging Behavior

A group of UC Merced researchers modeled predation behaviors, as well as changes in those behaviors, among large carnivores, developing a new theory that will help biologists assess the health of various ecosystems. Department of Life and Environmental Sciences Professor Justin Yeakel, Department of

Image
Ph.D. candidate Arabi Seshappan will spend 10 months at a satellite campus of the Université Paris-Saclay in France after being selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Fulbright Award Sends Physics Grad Student to France for Quantum Research

Persistence has paid off for UC Merced doctoral candidate Arabi Seshappan. The graduate student from Fremont, about to start her sixth year, was selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program's Fulbright-Université Paris-Saclay Doctoral Research Award, which is only granted to three U.S. students

Image
First cohort of Grad EXCEL peer mentors

Training Ph.D. Candidates for Peer Support Roles

As a young institution in the University of California system, UC Merced has placed a strong emphasis on serving students who are the first in their families to pursue graduate education. With its strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, UC Merced’s Graduate Division has created a

Image

Hellman Awards Deepening Research into Genomes, Health and Computer Science

Three faculty members have joined the prestigious ranks of Hellman Fellowship recipients this year. Applied mathematics Professor Tomas Rube, who studies mathematical biology, Professor Andrea Polonijo, a medical sociologist, and computer science and engineering Professor Peingfei Su will receive

Image
A great white shark passes the diving cage holding Professor Sora Kim.

UC Merced Researcher Dives with the Big Sharks on Shark Week

UC Merced's resident shark expert, Professor Sora Kim, will be featured on the prime-time, premiere-night episode of Discovery’s Shark Week discussing an enormous, legendary sea creature that takes on different forms in different cultures but has a basis in science. At 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, audiences

Image
Professor Kinjal Dasbiswas

Physics-based Modeling Reveals Surprising Behavior of Blood Clots

A group of researchers, including physicists from UC Merced, has made discoveries about the mechanics of blood clots that could help in the development of biomaterials for tissue engineering and improved surgical adhesives. Many materials around us, including those in cells and tissues, are made of