Computer scientists in the news this week

Computer scientists from UC San Diego and the U of Washington (the U of W prof is a UCSD PhD alum) are in the news this week due to their work on computer security for cars.

Associated Press: Auto industry guards against hacking

New York Times: Researchers Show How a Car’s Electronics Can Be Taken Over Remotely

Computer World: With hacking, music can take control of your car

Turning Skin Cells to Stem Cells / DNA Mutations

An interesting quote from an interesting story on Discovery by Ed Young on an interesting stem cell mutations paper in Nature from an interesting group of UC San Diego researchers co-led by interesting folks in the Department of Bioengineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering.

Interested? Below, from the Discovery story.

(L-R) Bioengineering professor Kun Zhang, bioengineering Ph.D. student Athurva Gore, and bioengineering alumna and staff researcher Alice Li are authors on the Nature paper. Photo taken in the Kun lab in the Department of Bioengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

As a result, Kun Zhang, who led Gore and Li’s study, is optimistic. He says that we may have found some abnormalities in iPSCs, but we also have the right tools to screen for them. “The first step of solving a problem is to have an accurate understanding of it, and I think we are there. I believe that, guided by these screening tools, the community will come up with many creative solutions in the near future.”

EGames Composite Parachute

You never know when knowing how to make a composite material will come in handy. One of the Jacobs School teams at EGames 2011 made a tomato-protecting composite-material parachute from blue tape and newspaper.  But this is probably not all that surprising, since there is a structural engineering class focused on composite materials where students make skateboards. (Check out the YouTube video: composite material skateboards.)

Photos of composite material parachutes for tomatoes are below.

Mutations found in ordinary human cells reprogrammed as induced pluripotent stem cells

Human induced pluripotent stem cells. Image credit: Courtesy of James Thomson.

(L-R) Bioengineering professor Kun Zhang, bioengineering Ph.D. student Athurva Gore, and bioengineering alumna and staff researcher Alice Li are authors on the Nature paper. Photo taken in the Kun lab in the Department of Bioengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

A new study, published in the March 3 issue of journal Nature and led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego in collaboration with other leading stem cell research groups, finds that the genetic material of reprogrammed cells may in fact be compromised, and suggests that extensive genetic screening of hiPSCs become standard practice before these stem cells are used clinically.

Read more on the Jacobs School news site.

UCSD@50 Video

The latest installment of the UCSD@50 video series includes a bit about the Jacobs School alums (the Antonorsi brothers) who founded Chuao Chocolatier.

EGames is an Engineers Week Highlight

The giant balloon looming over Warren Mall on the UC San Diego campus means just one thing this time of year: EGames.



This year, the wacky engineering competition's crowning event, the "tomato death drop" included water balloons. Students had to build contraptions from everyday objects linke paper plates, tape and newspaper that protected the tomatoes and water balloons and prevented them from getting destroyed when the contraption hit the ground after the fall from the helium balloon high above Warren Mall.

EGames is part of Engineers Week, and is organized by TESC, the Triton Engineering Student Council.

Below are a few photo highlights from the tomato drop. More photos are on the Jacobs School Flickr stream. Also, check out the EGames coverage from NBC.

This Week at UCSD: IDEaS: Innovation Day Expo and Symposia

 IDEaS: Innovation Day Expo and Symposia

Engage and network with leading innovators.  IDEaS features a week of free high-profile events for the campus and community highlighting the exciting innovation emerging from UC San Diego. The Innovation Symposia takes place February 22-24; on February 25, UC San Diego will host an engaging expo featuring live demonstrations, hands-on exhibits and face-to-face interaction with the innovators themselves.

INNOVATION SYMPOSIA                                                             
IDEaS will feature a dynamic series of evening talks that will be presented by innovators from our UC San Diego community. From Tuesday, February 22 through Thursday, February 24, the Innovation Symposia will host lectures featuring a panel of star-studded Nobel laureates, medical innovators and noted alumnus Maurizio Seracini. In addition, three day-time programs will focus on cultural innovation and social justice. All are free and open to the campus and community members, and will be presented in an open and lively discussion forum.

WHERE:  UC San Diego Price Center West Ballroom                    

WHEN:    February 22-24, 2011

INNOVATION DAY EXPO

Meet face-to-face with some of the world’s most prominent leaders, scientists and researchers, including keynote speaker, renowned artist, filmmaker and alumnus Kip Fulbeck’88, MFA ’92. Free snacks provided. To attend, register at boxoffice.ucsd.edu.

WHERE:  RIMAC Arena Floor                                   

WHEN:    February 25, 2011

3 p.m.:     “Who Are You? The Changing Face of America”

   UC San Diego alumnus Kip Fulbeck ’88, MFA ’92, one the world’s premier artists exploring multiracial    

   identity uses his own multiracial background as a springboard, inspiring audiences to honestly   

   consider, “Who Am I?”

4 p.m.:     Meet face-to-face with world renowned leaders, scientists and researchers at the Innovation Day Expo,

   featuring live demonstrations, hands-on exhibits and networking with the innovators.