Year in Review: 2021 USC research discoveries
Take a look at some of the most memorable research stories in 2021 about discoveries made by USC researchers.
USC Stem Cell scientists make big progress in building mini-kidneys
A team of scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has created what could be a key building block for assembling a synthetic kidney.
Is your mobile provider tracking your location? This new technology could stop it
The new architecture, called “Pretty Good Phone Privacy” or PGPP, decouples phone connectivity from authentication and billing by anonymizing personal identifiers sent to cell towers. The software-based solution does not alter cellular network hardware.
USC study reveals potential new treatment target in the fight against COVID-19
A new study by Keck School of Medicine (KSOM) researchers reveals how therapies targeting a molecular chaperone called GRP78 might offer additional protection against COVID-19 and other coronaviruses that emerge in the future.
Can measuring air pollutants help us combat COVID-19?
Just last year, this sampler was used to better understand the spread of COVID-19, an unexpected but logical adaption, Sioutas said. “COVID-19 is nothing more than an aerosol,” he said. “We can look at it the same way as all other particulate air pollutants.”
This tiny device may help scientists cure colorectal cancer
About four percent of Americans will develop colorectal cancer at some point in their life, according to the American Cancer Society, and nearly 150,000 cases are diagnosed each year.
USC Stem Cell study identifies molecular “switch” that turns precursors into kidney cells
Kidney development is a balancing act between the self-renewal of stem and progenitor cells to maintain and expand their numbers, and the differentiation of these cells into more specialized cell types. A new study demonstrates the importance of a molecule called β-catenin in striking this balance.
USC Caruso research team develops pioneering ‘procedure’ mask
Researchers at the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery are developing a procedure face mask that lets them safely scope their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Showing robots how to drive a car…in just a few easy lessons
USC researchers have developed a method that could allow robots to learn new tasks, like setting a table or driving a car, from observing a small number of demonstrations.
New flow battery could help unleash renewable energy
USC scientists have developed a new battery that could solve the electricity storage problem that limits the widespread use of renewable energy.