The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is well known for its work in agriculture and the environment, but it also contributes important knowledge for improving the health and well-being of children, youth and families. Our researchers put into practice the idea that investment early in life prevents problems and social issues later. Human sciences are very much a part of our land-grant mission to serve the public.

How Genetics, Resources and a Long-Distant Relative Helped One Lucky Fish Species Adapt to Extreme Pollution

The combination of a big population, good genes and luck helps explain how a species of fish in Texas’ Houston Ship Channel was able to adapt to what normally would be lethal levels of toxins for most other species, according to a study to be published May 3 in the journal Science. 

The Bodega Marine Laboratory’s white abalone program has millions of new additions following its most successful spawning ever at the University of California, Davis, facility.

Three out of nine recently collected wild white abalone spawned last week, as did seven of 12 captive-bred white abalone. One wild female was particularly generous, producing 20.5 million eggs herself.

Many people set up hummingbird feeders in their yards to nurture and watch these high-energy pollinators. But could the sugar water they provide be impacting these tiny feathered friends?

A study led by the University of California, Davis, is one of the first to address the potential for sugar water from hummingbird feeders to act as a vector for avian — or even zoonotic — pathogens. It found that the majority of microbes growing in feeders do not likely pose a significant health hazard to birds or humans.

Tim Caro knew from a very young age what he wanted to make of his life.

“My mother gave me a copy of The Observer’s Book of Birdsat the age of three, and from that point onward I wanted to be a zoologist,” said the British-born UC Davis wildlife distinguished professor.

The University of California, Davis, has been selected by the U.S. Agency for International Development(USAID) as part of a consortium to improve nutrition for women and children in low- and middle-income countries around the globe. 

Once spring-run chinook salmon disappear, they are not likely to re-emerge, indicates genetic analysis of the revered wild fish in a study led by the University of California, Davis. Prompt conservation action could preserve spring-run chinook, as well as their evolutionary potential.

Just as we might have guessed, those tasty, sugar-sweetened beverages that increase risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases may actually be addictive. Youth between 13 and 18 years of age who were deprived of sugary drinks for just three days reported headaches, cravings and other withdrawal symptoms, according to a University of California study with researchers from both the Davis and Berkeley campuses.

Newborn Baby Jane in Sacramento, California, might have access to the best, most modern medical care, but she’s likely missing something else: Friendly gut microbes. Uniquely adapted to human breast milk, these microbes provide optimal nutrition, keep out hostile infections, and may even stop the spread of disease.  

Throughout Africa, chickens are vital to family nourishment, income and food security. But African poultry production is threatened by an extremely virulent Newcastle disease virus that can decimate entire flocks within days.