San Diego, CA

Illumina and the San Diego Zoo are sequencing koala genomes to investigate disease

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2024

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Illumina and the San Diego Zoo are sequencing koala genomes to investigate disease

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Two world-class institutions that call San Diego home have joined forces on an investigation into the DNA of koalas.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and DNA-sequencing giant Illumina are examining the genetic information of nearly 100 koalas spanning 30 years to get a better understanding of koala retrovirus, or KoRV.

Scientists suspect through growing evidence that certain variants of koala retrovirus—all koalas carry some form of it—are associated with common diseases and health issues they have, such as leukemia, lymphoma and deadly fungal infections.

KoRV is baked into the genes of koalas and gets passed along to the next generation. This boat load of genetic data will help researchers examine patterns of how KoRV is getting integrated into koala genes. In turn, having a better understanding of KoRV will help inform conservation plans for koalas in the wild and in human care.

Dr. Cora Singleton, senior veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, works primarily with marsupials, including koalas. Singleton has cared for koalas for years and witnessed them struggle with the health effects of KoRV.

In order to sequence the genome, the San Diego Zoo used samples from 91 current koalas living at the zoo as well as samples from the frozen zoo—a bank of living cells—going back to the 1970s. These samples were then sent to Illumina’s laboratory in San Diego, where researchers extracted the DNA to prepare it for sequencing in their machines. Those sequencing instruments break the DNA down into the basic alphabet that makes up all genetic information.

Ashley Van Zeeland, vice president of corporate development at Illumina, said there is a lot less known about the koala genome than the human genome. That mass amount of data was then sent to collaborators in other countries, who are now studying the koala genomes.

“(They) take the data that our instruments generate and put it together into kind of the full picture of that species,” Van Zeeland said.

Van Zeeland, who has worked in genomics for two decades, explained the unique offering of this dataset is that it pairs generations of genetic data alongside meticulously documented medical records. For instance, researchers can examine the cause of death for a koala and its parents to see if there’s a connection.

Researchers are looking for patterns of where KoRV has inserted itself into the koala’s DNA because it’s not entering at the same spot for every koala. More specifically, researchers are comparing the patterns of how KoRV integrated into koala genes in a way that may be associated with certain diseases.

Van Zeeland explained that looking at where KoRV inserted itself in the genome may give researchers an idea of which genes might be disrupted, turned on or off in the koala and the resulting effect on their health.

Having that knowledge of which integration patterns correlate with certain adverse health effects could inform how conservationists pair up koala populations for reproduction. As koalas already face pressures from climate change and a disappearing habitat in the wild, this would tackle one more stressor on the endangered population.

While the koala genome had already been sequenced previously, the scale of this project wasn’t feasible even a few years ago, explained Singleton.

“One of the questions everybody always said from a research perspective: ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could see what’s going on in the genome?’ But for many, many years it was very expensive and very labor intensive,” Singleton said.

Illumina has been focused on getting the cost of sequencing the genome down so this kind of technology is more accessible and applicable for researchers. Van Zeeland said that in 2015 it cost roughly $1,000 to $2,000 to sequence a genome, but now that cost is down to about $200 using the latest technology. (Illumina’s work on the project is through its Illumina iConserve initiative, which focuses on environmental and wildlife conservation.)

Singleton characterizes this project as a career highlight to be a part of a network of collaborators trying to solve the same puzzle. While it’s been years in the making, she always knew “there was something special in there that we had to uncover at the right time and the right place.”

“It’s the moment for genetics to take off in the world of conservation,” Singleton said.

The effort to compile and analyze a database of the North American koala population will be the largest koala pedigree genomic database in the world. The project spans continents and is also aided by the University of Sydney, Australian Museum Research Institute, University of Nottingham, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and ZooParc de Beauval.

2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Germán Márquez

Published

11 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Padres roster review: Germán Márquez – San Diego Union-Tribune

GERMÁN MÁRQUEZ

Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2026 opening day age: 31
Height / Weight: 6-foot-1 / 230 pounds
How acquired: Signed as a free agent in February 2026
Contract status: Will make $1 million in 2026 with a $750,000 buyout on a mutual option for 2027; can add up to $3.25 million in performance bonuses.
fWAR in 2025: 0.3
Key 2025 stats: 3-16, 6.70 ERA, 83 strikeouts, 48 walks, 1.71 WHIP, .317 opponent average, 126⅓ innings (26 starts)

STAT TO NOTE

36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.

Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.

2026 OUTLOOK

Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.

German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

ROSTER RANKINGS

1. OF Fernando Tatis Jr.
2. 3B Manny Machado
3. OF Jackson Merrill
4. RHP Nick Pivetta
5. RHP Michael King
6. RHP Mason Miller
7. OF Ramón Laureano
8. SS Xander Bogaerts
9. LHP Adrián Morejón
10. RHP Jeremiah Estrada
11. RHP Jason Adam
12. 2B Jake Cronenworth
13. RHP Joe Musgrove
14. RHP Randy Vasquez
15. OF Gavin Sheets
16. LHP JP Sears
17. RHP Yu Darvish
18. RHP Bradgley Rodriguez
19. RHP David Morgan
20. C Freddy Fermin
21. LHP Wandy Peralta
22. C Luis Campusano
23. LHP Yuki Matsui
24. INF Sung-Mun Song
25. RHP German Marquez
26. RHP Matt Waldron
27. OF Bryce Johnson
28. OF/1B Nick Castellanos
29. RHP Ron Marinaccio
30. RHP Bryan Hoeing
31. LHP Kyle Hart
32. INF Will Wagner
33. RHP Garrett Hawkins
34. RHP Miguel Mendez
35. RHP Daison Acosta
36. RHP Ty Adcock
37. RHP Alek Jacob
38. INF Mason McCoy

Removed from 40-man roster

OF Tirso Ornelas (designated for assignment)
RHP Jhony Brito (60-day injured list)

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San Diego, CA

Blount named Head Basketball Coach at San Diego – HoopDirt

Published

23 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Blount named Head Basketball Coach at San Diego – HoopDirt

In today’s Daily Dirt, I mentioned that the search at San Diego was done. Here’s the official announcement from USD on the hiring of JR Blount as their next head men’s basketball coach:

University of San Diego Athletics has named JR Blount the 15th head coach in San Diego men’s basketball program history, USD Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey announced on Monday.

Blount arrives in San Diego with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaching talents after helping lead Iowa State to four NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons.

He joins the Toreros after five seasons on T.J. Otzelberger’s staff at Iowa State, where the Cyclones compiled a 95-45 record during his tenure, won the 2024 Big 12 Tournament Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2024 — one of the most successful stretches in program history. Iowa State finished in the AP Top 15 in each of those four seasons and climbed as high as No. 2 nationally in each of the last two years. During the 2025-26 season, the Cyclones opened with a 16-0 start, highlighted by victories over No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston, No. 9 Kansas and No. 14 St. John’s.

“After a thorough and highly competitive national search, we are proud to welcome JR Blount as the next head coach of USD men’s basketball,” said Massey. “JR is an outstanding leader, a relentless competitor and one of the brightest rising coaches in college basketball. Even more importantly, throughout this process I came to know him as a humble leader with strong integrity and deep family values. JR has been a part of winning at every level of his career and understands what it takes to build a program that competes with toughness, discipline and consistency. Just as importantly, he believes in developing young men holistically and leading in a way that reflects the values of this university.

“This is a pivotal moment for our program and JR’s vision aligns with our belief that San Diego men’s basketball should compete in the upper tier of the WCC and position itself to be a regular NCAA Tournament participant. We are excited about what lies ahead under his leadership.”

“As a product of Catholic education and deeply committed to USD’s mission and values, Coach Blount is an outstanding role model for the young men in our Torero basketball program,” said USD President James T. Harris III. “He brings an impressive resume with deep experience, a winning track record and — above all — a commitment to the overall wellbeing of our student-athletes.”

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead USD men’s basketball,” Blount said. “We are so thankful to Athletic Director Kimya Massey and President Harris for this opportunity. This is more than just a coaching position for me — it’s a chance to become part of a community and build something meaningful. My wife and our three daughters are excited to make this move together and we can’t wait to invest in this university and the relationships that make it special.

I come to USD with a deep desire to win — to compete relentlessly, to develop our young men to their fullest potential and to build a program our fans can be proud of. Winning championships is important, but so is building a culture of toughness, accountability and love. We’re going to work every day to represent USD the right way, on and off the court. I’m ready to get started.”

Blount played a key role in Iowa State’s rise under Otzelberger, helping orchestrate one of the most significant program turnarounds in recent Division I history. In his first season with the Cyclones in 2021-22, Iowa State rebounded from a two-win campaign the year before to finish 22-13 and advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Cyclones quickly established a national reputation for defensive toughness, ranking among the nation’s best in scoring defense, defensive efficiency, steals and turnovers forced.

Over the next three seasons, Blount helped Iowa State sustain that momentum. In 2022-23, the Cyclones advanced to the NCAA Tournament and recorded nine wins over AP Top 25 opponents, tied for the most in school history. In 2023-24, Iowa State won the Big 12 Championship, finished 29-8, posted an undefeated 18-0 record at Hilton Coliseum and advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, the 2024-25 Cyclones finished 25-10, climbed as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, earned another NCAA Tournament appearance and closed the season ranked No. 17 nationally.

Known for his work in player development, recruiting and culture-building, Blount has mentored multiple all-conference and All-America caliber players throughout his coaching career. At Iowa State, he developed some of the Big 12’s top performers while contributing to a program identity rooted in toughness, connectivity and competitive excellence.

Prior to Iowa State, Blount spent three seasons at Colorado State, where he helped elevate the Rams into one of the Mountain West’s top programs. During his tenure in Fort Collins, Colorado State signed the highest-rated recruiting class in program history and posted consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 20-8 finish and a run to the NIT semifinals in 2020-21. He also played a leadership role in Colorado State’s Together Initiative, which promoted social justice and racial equality on campus.

Blount also previously served in coaching roles at Drake and Saint Leo and began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where the program won the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship.

A former three-year team captain and two-time team MVP at Loyola University Chicago, Blount later played professionally for the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League during the 2010-11 season. He earned degrees in psychology and sociology from Loyola in 2009 and later received his master’s degree in education from UW-Stevens Point in 2012.

A native of Milwaukee, Blount and his wife, Ashley, have three daughters: Maya, Zuri and Gema.

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San Diego, CA

SDPD investigating suspicious death

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

UNIVERSITY CITY (KGTV) — San Diego police are investigating the death of an 81-year-old woman who was found unresponsive in her apartment in the 6300 block of Genesee Avenue.

Officers and San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel responded to a 9-1-1 call at about 11:56 p.m. on March 6.

First responders found the woman in her bedroom, unresponsive and “positioned awkwardly on a bed.” Despite immediate life-saving efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives from the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit were called to the scene due to “unusual circumstances,” police said. The cause and manner of death remain undetermined.

Investigators are working with the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine what happened.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

This story has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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