John Novembre, UCLA assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and a member of UCLA's Interdepartmental Program in Bioinformatics, is senior author of a recent paper that published one of the first genetic maps pinpointing where DNA is likely to be reshuffled in the genomes of African Americans — a tool that could help scientists find genes that cause disease.

Research led by Steven E. Jacobsen, a professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology and a researcher at UCLA's Broad Stem Cell Research Center has led to the first genome-wide mapping of the so-called "sixth nucleotide" in human embryonic stem cells and discovered that the molecule is found predominantly in genes that are turned on, or active.

Research by Steve Jacobsen, professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, that generated the first genome-wide mapping of a DNA modification called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in embryonic stem cells.

Research by Gene Block, UCLA chancellor and professor of psychiatry, biobehavioral sciences and physiology, and Christopher Colwell, UCLA professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, shows that mice, that the pattern of activity in the brain region that regulates circadian rhythms begins to decay when the animals hit middle age. This research could provide clues as to why sleep patterns change as people grow older.

Using three-dimensional computer models, Lawren Sack, UCLA professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and collaborators, including Ph.D. candidate and lead author, Christine Scoffoni, simulated the impacts of embolisms on water transport for leaves of different sizes and vein architectures. They found that the distinct vein systems of smaller leaves are structurally and physiologically better adapted for plants to live in dry soil, contributing to survival during periods of drought.

Patricia M. Greenfield, a UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and collaborators found that “Fame” is the No. 1 value emphasized by television shows popular with 9- to 11-year-olds, a dramatic change over the past 10 years.

Goldberg, UCLA distinguished professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology, was BRIEFLY quoted Sunday in a Los Angeles Times article about the labeling of genetically modified foods.

Using state-of-the-art imaging equipment at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA, Robert Gunsalus, professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, has shown for the first time that a microbe known as Methanosprillum hungatei, contains incredibly efficient energy-storage structures.

Lawren Sack, UCLA professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and collaborators, including Ph.D. candidate and lead author Christine Scoffoni, used three-dimensional computer models to simulate water transport within the veins of different sized leaves. They found that the distinct vein systems of smaller leaves are structurally and physiologically better adapted for plants to live in dry soil, contributing to survival during periods of drought.