UC Santa Cruz Innovations Named Among TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025

UC Santa Cruz has earned a prestigious spotlight on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025 list, recognizing two groundbreaking projects with significant contributions from the university's researchers, students, and alumni.

Astronomy Revolutionized by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

The revolutionary Vera C. Rubin Observatory was recognized for its ongoing work with the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). UCSC Science researchers and specialists have been instrumental in the development and continued success of the observatory. This project is set to transform the field of astronomy by providing an unprecedented view of the dynamic universe. The LSST will catalog billions of celestial objects, offering essential data that will allow scientists to study dark matter, dark energy, transient events, and the formation of the Milky Way galaxy in new detail. The recognition highlights the leadership and expertise flowing from the UCSC campus to this global scientific endeavor.

Beth Shapiro

Conservation Genomics: A Breakthrough in Saving Endangered Species

In a major win for conservation, Beth Shapiro, Director of Conservation Genomics at the UCSC Genomics Institute, was honored for her leadership in a research breakthrough developed with Colossal Biosciences.

Shapiro’s team developed a less invasive, safer method for obtaining the cells necessary for cloning endangered animals. Traditionally, this process required invasive surgical tissue samples. The new technique simplifies the process, allowing scientists to use cells derived from a simple blood draw. This significant advancement promises to make crucial conservation efforts, such as de-extinction and genetic rescue of endangered populations, far more accessible and practical worldwide.