A whitebark pine growing on the rock overlooking Big Pine Creek in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
Photo Credit
Joan Dudney
Whitebark pines growing in cold, high elevation regions grew more during droughts, which lengthened their growing season.

How a drought affects trees depends on what’s been holding them back

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Planetary defense project selected for NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program
A pumpjack nestled between trees and luxury homes.
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iStock
California currently has no setback restrictions, so oil production can occur in the middle of neighborhoods like Signal Hill, in Los Angeles.

Keeping California’s oil in the ground will improve health but affect jobs
A hand hovering over a match
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Our perception of pain arises from a complex system connected to many other pathways.

A channel involved in pain sensation can also suppress it
concept illustration of genetic material cut from a DNA helix

Researchers discover a way to improve nonviral gene editing as well as a new type of DNA repair
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Doctoral candidate Amelia Ritger receives award for women researchers
group of researchers in gray t-shirts standing outside a modern building
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
From l to r: Ambuj Singh, Christopher Kruegel, João Hespanha, Giovanni Vigna

UC Santa Barbara to lead NSF-funded research institute for next-level AI-powered cybersecurity
Holly Moeller checks on flasks of mixotrophic algae.
Photo Credit
Holly Moeller
Holly Moeller hopes these nondescript algae will help her uncover the intriguing lifestyle of mixotrophs and understand how environmental conditions influence their growth.

Biologist Holly Moeller investigates the role of mixotrophs, organisms that can both eat and photosynthesize
Close-up of a circuit board
Photo Credit
iStock

Beyond Moore’s Law: Innovations in solid-state physics include ultra-thin ‘two-dimensional’ materials and more
A mountain made of multicolored pill capsules
Photo Credit
Ryan Allen and Peter Allen, Second Bay Studios
A new antibiotic susceptibility test revealed that existing FDA-approved antibiotics can effectively treat multidrug-resistant infections.

New test reveals existing antibiotics, hiding in plain sight on pharmacy shelves, can cure superbugs
Illustration of molecular chain overlaid on image of plastic bottles
Photo Credit
Jessie Ward O'Sullivan

A game-changing method of “upcycling” plastics helps clear the path toward a circular economy
Hillside daisy blankets hills in yellow, with splashes of pink, orange and blue.
Photo Credit
Joan Dudney
California’s wildflowers have painted parts of the state in a dazzling array of colors.

Tending to our superblooms requires developing plans for people to enjoy them
aerial view of wildfire marching across a forest landscape
Where fire is a natural part of the ecosystem, it can create space and opportunities for adaptations and new species

Naturally fire-prone ecosystems tend to have more species of birds and mammals, a new study reveals
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