UC Davis College of Biological Sciences

10/16/2026

Summer research, lasting opportunities. 🔬

Donor-funded awards helped UC Davis College of Biological Sciences undergraduates stay in the lab through the Dean’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).

From forest health to cancer biology, these students spent the summer advancing their projects and building their skills as scientists.

Read more about their projects here:

The annual CBS Dean’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) supports students who wish to stay on campus—and in the lab—over the summer terms.Normally, undergraduates leave campus for the summer if they are not enrolled in classes. They often do this to work and save funds for the start...

10/14/2026

Tiny brains. Remarkable abilities. 🐝

UC Davis biologist and National Geographic Explorer Felicity Muth studies how bumblebees learn, remember and make decisions—and what their surprising abilities reveal about animal intelligence.

“We’re not really interested in bees as little humans,” she says. “We’re interested in bees as bees.”

Muth, an associate professor in our Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, is featured in a video produced by the National Geographic Society’s Impact Story Lab.

Her research is supported by the National Geographic Society and the Templeton World Charity Foundation through the Wildlife Intelligence Project.

Read more here:

Small brains can do remarkable things. Felicity Muth, an associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior and a National Geographic Explorer, is featured in a National Geographic Society video highlighting her research on how bumblebees learn, remember and make decision...

10/12/2026

Welcome to the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences graduate community! 🎓

On September 16, we celebrated the beginning of the academic year with our Fall 2026 Graduate Group Welcome Reception at Green Hall Courtyard.

The event welcomed incoming graduate students and emphasized the importance of mentorship, collaboration and connecting with researchers across different fields of biology.

The program also recognized Spring 2026 fellowship and award recipients for their accomplishments, highlighting the incredible talent within our graduate community.

We’re excited to see the discoveries, connections and opportunities that await our newest graduate students!



Image Descriptions:
Image 1) A speaker delivers remarks during the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences Fall Graduate Welcome Reception.
Image 2) Graduate students gather around refreshments during the Fall Welcome Reception at Green Hall Courtyard.
Image 3) Five graduate students enjoy lunch and conversation together on the lawn during the Fall Welcome Reception.
Image 4) Graduate students gather for lunch and conversation on the lawn outside Green Hall.
Image 5) Graduate students share conversation and laughter during the outdoor Fall Welcome Reception.
Image 6) An attendee displays a UC Davis GradPathways Institute publication highlighting graduate student resources and programs.
Image 7) Attendees connect with campus representatives and explore graduate student resources during the Fall Welcome Reception.
Image 8 Attendees applaud during the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences Fall Graduate Welcome Reception.

10/09/2026

🌿Help preserve a living museum.

Home to nearly 4,000 plant species, the College of Biological Sciences' Botanical Conservatory supports teaching, research and conservation across UC Davis.

Support the Botanical Conservatory Collections Database Project through Crowdfund UC Davis this October and help create a digital database of the collection while providing a paid internship for a student to lead this important work.

Give by October 31 to support this valuable resource for future generations of students, researchers and visitors.

Donate here: https://bit.ly/4BeKVkb

10/08/2026

For a male fruit fly, romance involves dancing, buzzing and the very real possibility of being kicked away. Some species have an unusual advantage: a “s*x comb” on their front legs that helps them grab a potential mate.
How did this strange body part evolve? UC Davis researchers Ben Hopkins and Artyom Kopp found that the cells that build s*x combs use the same genes as those that make ordinary touch bristles. The difference is a brief burst of increased energy production that helps them grow bigger, faster.
The finding offers a window into one of evolution’s biggest mysteries: how new body parts arise.

Read the story: https://bit.ly/4hAqhmJ

Image Description:
1) UC Davis biology professor Artyom Kopp in a lab coat and glasses works with a microscope and Drosophila culture vials in a biology research lab.
2)Extreme close-up shot of a common fruit fly perched on a green leaf showing its red eyes and delicate bristles.
3)Microscopic comparison showing Drosophila s*x comb bristles under RNAi gene knock-down treatments versus controls.

10/07/2026

Last month, we had the privilege of welcoming over 2,000 incoming first-year and transfer to the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences!

Orientation was filled with inspiring messages from faculty leadership, engaging discussions, and plenty of excitement for the year ahead. A huge thank you to everyone who helped welcome our newest CBSAggies to campus. We can’t wait to see what you all achieve in your time at UC Davis!

Here’s to a great quarter of learning, discovery, and community! 🧬🌾



Image Descriptions:
1) Two smiling students display matching navy UC Davis College of Biological Sciences DNA t-shirts at an outdoor event.
2)Dean Frédéric Chédin speaks on stage beneath a large welcome screen to a crowd of students in a packed indoor arena.
3)Smiling students with orientation lanyards sit together in a large audience during a presentation in an auditorium.
4)A professor holds a yellow Systems & Synthetic Biology sign and speaks to new students in an outdoor plaza.
5)Smiling students gather around the Microbiology Club booth during orientation.

10/02/2026

When an oak tree dies, life beneath it changes—but soil carbon may linger.

UC Davis researchers found major shifts in soil fungi beneath dead blue oaks, with fungi that help nourish living trees giving way to those that break down dead wood. Yet three years after the trees died, soil carbon levels showed no detectable difference from those beneath living trees.

The findings offer a glimpse into how tree loss could reshape ecosystems below ground.

Read the story: https://bit.ly/46N3e1P

Image Descriptions:
1)A lone bare oak tree stands atop a grassy hillside under a soft, cloudy sky.
2)Laura Bogar smiles while kneeling beside soil-sampling machinery and tools during fieldwork in a dry landscape.
3)Two scientists in blue lab coats sift and examine organic samples with metal sieves in a laboratory workspace.
4)A researcher wearing blue gloves holds a clear cylindrical tube filled with a granular soil core sample outdoors.
5) Upward view looking into the green leaves and twisting branches of a live oak tree set against a clear blue sky.

09/22/2026

Two scientists with a passion for making a difference.

Congratulations to UC Davis College of Biological Sciences Ph.D. candidates Destiny Gomez and Camilo Echeverria on receiving the UC President’s Pre-Professoriate Fellowship!

Inspired by her experience growing up with asthma, Gomez studies whether medications used for diabetes and weight management could also reduce lung inflammation. Echeverria investigates how stem cells migrate during early development, offering insights into the origins of congenital disorders.

Both envision an impact beyond the lab, from bringing science into public service to mentoring the next generation of researchers.

Meet the fellows: bit.ly/3V1z34l

Image Description: UC Davis Ph.D. candidates Camilo Echeverria and Destiny Gomez smile with their arms crossed outdoors.

09/15/2026

Can a better experience for animals make animal-assisted interventions more beneficial for people, too?

A new UC Davis study found that spending just three minutes with miniature horses and donkeys improved adolescents’ moods. Teens who noticed the animals’ behavioral cues—including signs of enjoyment or a desire for space—experienced even greater reductions in loneliness and sadness

The findings suggest that animals aren’t passive participants in these encounters: Their choices and well-being may help shape the benefits people receive.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4yER8Ue

Image Descriptions:
Image 1)Rebecca M. Calisi Rodríguez pets a miniature pony on a sunny dirt path framed by metal and timber fencing outdoors.
Image 2)Low-angle shot of Rebecca M. Calisi Rodríguez walking a miniature horse with a lead rope under a bright, sunny blue sky.
Image 3)A child in a purple hooded sweatshirt gently strokes the neck of a dark brown miniature donkey in a fenced yard.
Image 4)Rebecca M. Calisi Rodríguez stands next to a small, fluffy tan miniature horse in a corral outside a dark barn stall.

09/14/2026

It was a record-breaking year for philanthropy at UC Davis—and for the College of
Biological Sciences!

Thanks to the generosity of 872 donors, CBS raised more than $19.6 million in fiscal year 2025–26 to support biological science research, education and opportunity. That community included 168 new donors—the largest number of new donors in college history.

Together, supporters also contributed more than $210,000 through our 20th Anniversary
Matching Initiative, exceeding our goal and expanding support for Course-based
Undergraduate Research Experiences and emerging college needs.

We are deeply grateful to every donor who invested in the future of biological sciences at
UC Davis. Go, Aggies!

Read more here: https://bit.ly/4AeopHg

The University of California, Davis, raised more than $676 million in philanthropic support during fiscal year 2025–26, more than doubling the university's previous giving record and marking the strongest fundraising year in its history.Donors’ unprecedented level of investment in UC Davis will ...