News

A superbloom ahead of schedule

Jules Bernstein — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

UC Riverside plant ecologist Loralee Larios weighs in on the outlook for a wildflower superbloom show this year, where one might see it, and how flower lovers can protect the blooms for years to come.

How fire-loving fungi learned to eat charcoal

Jules Bernstein — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

Wildfire causes most living things to flee or die, but some fungi thrive afterward, even feasting on charred remains. New University of California, Riverside research finds the secret to post-fire flourishing hidden in their genes.

The science behind a great guacamole

Annie Cao — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

Guacamole is a game-day favorite, but what does it take to perfect it? Researchers at UC Riverside are peeling back the science of what makes a great avocado and how to turn it into a winning bowl of guacamole.

Shrubs curb carbon emissions in China’s largest desert

Jules Bernstein — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

An experiment in western China over the past four decades shows that it is possible to tame the expansion of desert lands with greenery, and, in the process, pull excess carbon dioxide out of the sky.

James Webb Space Telescope reveals new details about dark matter in the universe

UCR News — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

Findings allow scientists to learn more about dark matter’s influence on stars, galaxies, and planets

Tango’s sweet legacy lives on

David Danelski — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

The UCR-developed Tango mandarin has established itself as a symbol of innovation and sustainability in the global citrus market, generating more than $70 million in cumulative economic value for the university.

Tiny Mars’ big impact on Earth’s climate

Jules Bernstein — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

New research reveals the extent to which Mars is quietly tugging on Earth’s orbit and shaping the cycles that drive long-term climate patterns here, including ice ages.

A high-protein diet can defeat cholera infection

Jules Bernstein — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0800

Cholera, a severe bacterial infection that causes diarrhea and kills if untreated, can be defeated with a diet high in protein, according to a new study from UC Riverside.

A DIY, fly-powered fix for food scraps

Jules Bernstein — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

A small-scale solution to food waste transforms scraps into high-protein animal feed and fertilizer using black soldier flies.

FDA drug trials exclude a widening slice of Americans

Jules Bernstein — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

A UCR study finds just 6% of clinical trials used to approve new drugs in the U.S. reflect the country’s racial and ethnic makeup, with an increasing trend of trials underrepresenting Black and Hispanic individuals.

Fecal tests reveal active termite attacks

Jules Bernstein — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

By testing for microbes in termite excrement, researchers can distinguish old droppings from fresh, and whether a colony is actively chewing its way through a home.

Preempting a flesh-eating fly’s return to California

Jules Bernstein — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

University of California Riverside researchers are launching a preemptive strike against the threatened return of the flesh-eating New World screwworm, a threat to livestock.

Heat and drought change what forests breathe out

Jules Bernstein — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

After six years of UC Riverside-led research in a temperate Chinese forest, researchers have found that warming may be reducing nitrogen emissions, at least in places where rainfall is scarce.

Study links America’s favorite cooking oil to obesity

Jules Bernstein — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Soybean oil, the most widely consumed cooking oil in the United States, contributes to obesity in mice, through a mechanism scientists are finally beginning to understand.

New type of DNA damage found in our cells’ powerhouses

Iqbal Pittalwala — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Findings may have important implications for diseases associated with mitochondrial problems

When ants battle bumble bees, nobody wins

Jules Bernstein — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

When bumble bees fight invasive Argentine ants for food, bees may win an individual skirmish but end up with less to feed the hive.

Half-billion-year-old parasite still threatens shellfish

Jules Bernstein — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0800

A UCR study has unexpectedly discovered that a common parasite of modern oysters actually started infecting bivalves hundreds of millions of years before the dinosaurs went extinct.

'Roll Out’ to UCR Homecoming 2025

Malinn Loeung — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Lock in this November with UC Riverside’s Homecoming 2025. The most anticipated celebration is an on-campus concert featuring 2000s hip-hop icon Ludacris. (Yup, THAT Ludacris!) Select campus groups will also host a barbecue, brunch, cookout, family weekend, and more. Here are all the ways you can join in the fun.

Hidden toxins in e-cigarette fluids may harm lung cells

Iqbal Pittalwala — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

UC Riverside research reveals that common vaping ingredient can form chemicals that damage airway tissue even at low levels

Being fit may help the body beat dehydration

Iqbal Pittalwala — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

UC Riverside mouse study highlights why fitness may matter more in a warming, drier world