With over 3 billion years of evolution under its belt, the natural world has a pretty long track record of creativity. Knowing this, three interdisciplinary researchers at UC Davis looked to the golden silk orb-weaver spider to develop an innovative biomaterial.

PODCAST EPISODE: Jennifer T. Smilowitz, assistant professor of the cooperative extension in the Department of Nutrition at UC Davis, is a breast milk expert and lactation counselor. In this episode we talk about the science, potential medical applications, cultural context, barriers to breastfeeding and why there is no true substitute for human breast milk.

Sramek, 36, is founder and CEO of California Forever, which seeks to build a large new community in Solano County. While cities or large unincorporated communities have been built from scratch before in California and elsewhere, what makes this potential metropolis unusual — and has stirred public controversy — are the people behind it and its backstory.

In August 2023, Bosch acquired TSI with the intention of producing silicon carbide chips, a major element in the production of electric vehicles. Bosch is betting that the global demand for silicon carbide chips will continue to grow and intends to invest $1.5 billion in the new fabrication.

Innovation is a process by which a domain, product or service is renewed and brought up to date by applying new processes, introducing new techniques or establishing successful ideas to create new value. The creation of value is a defining characteristic of innovation. Simple enough, right? 

After years in the solar farm industry, Derek Chase was looking into different drone companies to handle aerial flyovers. But he found these companies couldn’t provide the information he needed, which was found on the ground, under the panels, where the wires are.

As a chemist of food science, J. Bruce German was accustomed to observing the tiniest things: protein particles, bacteria, mucin layers and much more invisible to the naked eye. But nothing prepared him for his first experience in the neonatal intensive care unit at UC Davis.

It was the age of the milkman, the gas attendant and free paper bags. Comstock’s president and publisher reminisces about a simpler time before all the automation.