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A Record-Breaking April
a month - and year - of successes

Less than a week ago I was in the University Credit Union Center for the Dean’s Circle Undergraduate Research Conference. In the image above, you can see what a success the event was. Over 200 CBS undergraduates attended the conference and shared their research posters with peers, visitors and CBS faculty. And each student received a certificate in recognition of their hard work. My congratulations to all of them.

I would also like to thank those who have given to the CBS Dean’s Circle, without whom the event simply would not have been possible. Many of those same donors are alumni, and conducted their own research as UC Davis students. Said another way, Aggies support Aggies - always!

Last month, the 108th Picnic Day coincided with UC Davis Give Day, which, now in its sixth year, raised a record-breaking $4.1 million from over five thousand gifts. The college raised $863,929 from 406 gifts, representing 20% of all the gifts received across campus. It is a significant achievement that speaks to the profound generosity of our donors and supporters. On behalf of the whole college, thank you to all those who participated in this year's Give Day!

As we enter the final weeks of the quarter, it is time to reflect on the many successes of the 2021-22 academic year, not least of which was the successful return of nearly 6,000 CBS students to campus. Many of them will be celebrating their academic accomplishments next month at one of three undergraduate commencements.

Though the school year isn’t over yet, I want to congratulate all of our graduating seniors - and wish them luck as they enter the homestretch of their undergraduate journeys.

Go Ags!

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Mark Winey, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Biological Sciences
Distinguished Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology 

Featured image: The U Center was host to the college's first-ever Dean's Circle Undergraduate Research Conference, which saw over 200 CBS undergraduates present their research posters to their peers and to CBS faculty. (Sasha Bakhter/UC Davis)

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Eco-Friendly CBS Alumni Startup Receives $21.6 Million Investment
While they were students, Shay Sethi ('15 B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) and Moby Ahmed ('15 B.S. in Genetics and Genomics) saw a need to develop a modernized recycling process that reconstitutes fabric to help eliminate waste in fashion.

Research & Discovery
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Unlocked Enzyme Structure Shows How Strigolactone Hormone Controls Plant Growth
New research from the Department of Plant Biology in Nature Plants unravels the underlying mechanism of protein targeting and destruction in a specific plant hormone signaling pathway.

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New Technology Solves Mystery of Respiration in Tetrahymena
A new study from the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology shows that the single-celled ciliated organism Tetrahymena uses a different set of proteins for respiration from plants, animals or yeast.


Featured Videos

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Storer Lectureship in the Life Sciences
Monday, April 5

"From Looking Down a Microscope to Looking Out the Window"

Elizabeth Blackburn
Nobel Laureate
Professor Emerita UC San Francisco

Monday, April 12

"The Promise and Practice of Inclusive Teaching"

Bryan Dewsbury
Florida International University

Awards & Laurels
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Biological Sciences Ranked Among World’s Top 50, Nation's Top 20 by QS World University Rankings
In the 2022 QS Top Universities Rankings by Subject released on April 6, UC Davis ranked 43rd in the world and tied for 18th in the nation in the broad category of the life sciences and medicine.


Featured Event
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On Friday, May 13th the college is screening Coming Clean, a documentary that explores the issues with the UC's Carbon Neutrality Plan, followed by a Q&A with an expert panel to discuss what our campuses need to do to move away from fossil fuels to instead run on renewables.

Campus & Community
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Undergraduate Research Award Honors the Work of Professor Emeritus Raymond Rodriguez
Named for the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology professor emeritus, the fund honors Rodriguez’s 40+ year career, celebrating his research, his teaching and mentorship.

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Fusion of Science and Parenting is Focus of Professor's Research, Advocacy and Art
An associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior is committed to creating inclusivity in academia - a pursuit for which she marries art, science and advocacy.

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Upcoming Events
When you support UC Davis with a gift to the College of Biological Sciences, you are making an investment in the continued exploration of life sciences by a new generation of researchers and future leaders.