Sacramento

"Why do hairdressers use thioglycolic acid for permanent hair treatment? "Why is the spike protein called a glycoprotein?" "When you get ivy poisoning, where do you expect that the active ingredient (urushiol) will accumulate?

UC ANR held its very first Black History Month Program in February and the series of events were well-attended and enthusiastically received.

When the Ironic Bonds Team and the Gibbs Team won the 12-team competition in the UC Davis Eric Conn Biochemistry Quizzes, it's not game over. It's the beginning of a three-game global series.

Answer me this: What is the name of the proteins (water channels) that facilitates water transport into and out of cells? And who discovered this family of proteins?

This article from the Sacramento Bee describes the impact of annual grass weeds on sites in the Great Basin, and argues that herbicides can play a role in salvaging the local ecosystem. Another entry in the category of "Ecology is complicated.

Growers frequently celebrate the presence of wildlife in their alfalfa and grain fields, providing valuable habitat as well as economic returns. But sometimes it's just too much of a good thing.

Growers frequently celebrate the presence of wildlife in their alfalfa and grain fields, providing valuable habitat as well as economic returns. But sometimes it's just too much of a good thing. Snow geese and Ross's geese foraging in alfalfa hay in the Sacramento Valley, 2021.

You won't want to miss this. It promises to be a memorable event.

(Editor's Note, Feb. 21: The Eric Conn Biochemistry Quizzes may now be viewed on YouTube here.

With planting season coming up, thinking about appropriate variety selection is key, and one of the first steps towards ensuring a good 2021 crop. Each year the California Rice Research Board funds a statewide variety trial testing program. Here I summarize some of that data.