Daily Business Report: January 24, 2024
Shooting for the Stars
UC San Diego scientists are sending cells
into space, and health science into the future
By Nicole Mlynaryk | UC San Diego
Jessica Pham stared at the grey skies above her with nervous anticipation. She had arrived at the Kennedy Space Center that morning with a shipment of precious cargo: multiple batches of human stem cells. Over the previous month, Pham had meticulously tended to these cells, preparing them for their upcoming journey to the International Space Station (ISS). But after Pham and her samples were both overnighted to Florida, a dense layer of clouds had stalled the next leg of the trip.
“All you need is a five-minute window of clear skies for the rocket to be able to launch,” said Pham, a senior researcher in the Jamieson Lab at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
The rocket she refers to is a Space X Falcon, which routinely ships supplies into low Earth orbit to restock the ISS. Researchers like Pham are now taking advantage of these commercial launches to send experiments to space.
Top photo: Researchers Jane Isquith, left, and Jessica Pham. (Credit: UC San Diego Health Sciences)
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Registration for tuition-free San Diego Promise program opens
Applications for the tuition-free San Diego Promise program that comes with wraparound student support services opened Monday for the fall 2024 semester.
The San Diego Community College District’s San Diego Promise offers up to two years of free tuition, along with health fees, access to peer mentors, student success coaches and academic counselors. Students with financial need are eligible for additional book grants and instructional supplies.
The San Diego Promise is open to recent high school graduates planning to attend San Diego City, Mesa or Miramar college in the fall, as well as veterans, undocumented students, foster youth, formerly incarcerated and returning SDCCD students who meet certain criteria.
For those interested in applying, information sessions are scheduled from 6-7 p.m. on Feb.13, March 5, April 16, May 14 and June 25 via Zoom.
ACP program can help households reduce internet bill
The Affordable Connectivity Program can help eligible households reduce their monthly internet bill up to $30. These households are also eligible for as one-tim $100 discount when buying a laptop or tablet from participating providers. The ACP eligibility and application processs has been streamlined to make it easy for qualified households. To learn more about ACP and fill out an appliction, go to internetforallnow.org/applytoday
or call 866-745-2805.
Cal State San Marcos breaks ground on new housing and dining project
By Brian Hiro | Cal State San Marcos
Cal State San Marcos broke ground on a new housing and dining project that is the university’s latest effort to alleviate the burden of the region’s housing crisis on students.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the University Village Student Success Housing and Dining Project took place in the parking lot of University Village Apartments, one of three existing housing facilities at CSUSM.
Over the next 2½ years, the site will be transformed into a complex that features space for 550 additional student residents and a 19,000-square-foot dining hall that will provide affordable meal plans for students.
The project is being funded in part by $91 million that CSUSM received from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature in their 2022-23 budget.
Christina Piranio named CEO
of San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, a m museum with a focus on STREAM (science, technology, reading, engineering, art, and math) education, announced that Christina Piranio has joined the museum as chief executive officer. With over 20 years of nonprofit management experience, Piranio is a creative problem solver who works to strategically maximize the power of collaboration to achieve equity in communities. She most recently served as the director of philanthropy at Voices for Children, leading the research, writing, and administration of private and public institutional funding.
Skill Money Games launches with Full
Swing to revolutionize indoor golf
Skill Money Games launches with Full Swing, activating AI-driven, skill-based cash challenges on golf simulators. Skill Money Games is revolutionizing indoor golf through its patented AI technology that offers personalized, skill-based cash challenges. Available now on Full Swing, the leader in golf simulators, Skill Money Games has launched a groundbreaking Closest-to-the-Pin real money challenge which caters to players of diverse skill levels. This gaming innovation is currently showcased at Swing Social in San Diego.
Healcisio AI reduces sepsis mortality by nearly 20 percent
A recent peer reviewed study published in NPJ Digital Medicine has concluded that Healcisio’s new AI model for sepsis prediction was effective at reducing patient mortality by nearly 20 percent. Researchers from UC San Diego Health analyzed over 6,000 patient encounters from two emergency departments and showed that replacing legacy identification and notification workflows with Healcisio AI significantly improved timeliness of interventions and patient outcomes.
VETCOMM expands workforce by 33 percent
CECORS INC. and its wholly owned subsidiary VETCOM, a leading provider of innovative veteran solutions, announced that it has successfully increased its sales team by 33 percent within the last 60 days, expanding the new sales force by 10, including two hires from the Department of Defense SkillBridge Program. The new additions to VETCOMM’s sales team ensure that veterans’ demands for benefits are being met.
Nuvve wins project for Fresno Economics
Opportunity Commission’s 50-shuttle fleet
Nuvve Holding Corp., a global technology leader accelerating the electrification of transportation through its proprietary vehicle-to-grid (V2G) platform, was selected and approved by the Board of the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission to implement its turnkey fleet electrification program for Fresno’s EOC’s 50-shuttle fleet. Nuvve assisted Fresno EOC, one of the largest nonprofit community action agencies in the U.S.
Realty Income closes merger with Spirit Realty Capital
Realty Income Corporation (Realty Income, The Monthly Dividend Company, has closed on the previously announced merger with Spirit Realty Capital Inc. in an all-stock transaction. The common stock of the combined company will trade under the symbol “O” on the New York Stock Exchange. The final day of trading for Spirit’s common and preferred stock on the New York Stock Exchange was Jan. 22, 2024.
Viscient does trailblazing work with 3D human liver models
Viscient Biosciences announced that its scientists, along with collaborators from University of California, San Diego, Sanford-Burnham-Prebys medical research institute, and Salk Institute, have published the first demonstration of a liver fibrosis phenotype in a 3D human tissue model of MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis) demonstrating strong comparability to the native disease by multiple measures.
Petco and Nationwide launch co-branded pet insurance product
Leading pet insurer Nationwide and Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc. are delivering on their shared commitment to provide affordable and integrated pet health, wellness and protection solutions with the introduction of a new customizable pet health insurance offering available now on petco.com. Petco|Nationwide pet insurance leverages Nationwide’s customizable pet health insurance product.
Sweetwater Investment Management adds new talent
Sweetwater Investment Management, a private equity secondaries specialist, announced leadership promotions and new hires following a record-setting capital raise of $505 million in total commitments to Sweetwater Private Equity III L.P. The following individuals were promoted effective at year-end 2023: Matthew Kelsay, partner; Hahn Lin, partner; Matthew Harris, controller; Amber Andrews, senior analyist.
Cymbiotika expands presence with The Vitamin Shoppe partnership
Cymbiotika, a trailblazing wellness brand that offers premium nutritional supplements, is excited to announce its partnership with The Vitamin Shoppe, the leading destination for health and wellness solutions. As a result of this collaboration, Cymbiotika products will now be available in The Vitamin Shoppe stores across the United States.
