Daily Business Report-March 8, 2021
UC San Diego Ph.D.student Taylor Steele and advisor Bradley Moore (shown in the background) collect seaweed at the tide pools in La Jolla. (Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego)
Revealing the secrets of seaweed
Researchers explore seaweek genome diversity in first-of-its-kind
project that could help solve societal challenges
San Diego’s tide pools are a popular site for visitors hoping to see some form of marine life. Revealed with the ebb and flow of the tides, these rocky coastal wonderlands are often teeming with creatures ranging from hermit crabs and octopus to small fishes and sea anemones.
But beyond the scene-stealing marine critters—if you look a little closer—you will find seaweed, or algae, and lots of it.
Researchers at UC San Diego are now taking a closer look at some of these locally found seaweeds in a first-of-its-kind project that explores seaweed genome diversity. Funded by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), this research is led by marine chemist Bradley Moore and members of his lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Since the project began in 2019, researchers in the Moore Lab have been working to unravel the complex chemistry of seaweeds, particularly how they construct certain molecules that could have important applications in fields such as manufacturing and medicine. The team is currently working with the JGI to sequence the genomes of 10 different types of biosynthetically “gifted” red seaweeds found in San Diego, something that has never been done before.
Carlene Moore appointed CEO
of the Del Mar Fair Board
The 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors/Del Mar Fairgrounds appointed Interim CEO Carlene Moore to the position of chief executive officer.
Carlene has proven herself to be a true leader. Her hard work and dedication during her entire time with the Del Mar Fairgrounds, but in particular over the past 12 months while she has helped navigate the organization through extremely challenging times, has been remarkable,” said Board President Richard Valdez.
Moore was appointed interim CEO in August 2020. She initially joined the staff as deputy general manager in February 2019 after an extensive search. Prior to joining the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Moore served as CEO of the Napa County Fair Association (Calistoga, Calif.). Her experience in the fair industry spans back to 1994, having also worked at the El Dorado County Fair (Placerville, Calif.) and Placer County Fair (Roseville, Calif.). Moore graduated Cum Laude from California State University, Sacramento with a concentration in Strategic Management.
Downtown residential and retail building
sells for $4,725,000
A residential and retail building in Downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp District has sold for $4,725,000. The building is located at 728 Market St. and includes 18 residential apartments and two retail suites.
Victor Krebs of Colliers and Joe Brady of Urban Property Group represented the seller in the transaction and the buyer represented itself. Neither was identified.
“728 Market Street has been owned by the same family since the 1960s so this sale was a unique opportunity,” said Krebs. “The property has a great location in the heart of all the redevelopment in the Gaslamp and Ballpark districts.”
Murphy Development Co. starts construction
of two spec industrial buildings in Otay Mesa
Murphy Development Company announced that it has started construction of two speculative industrial buildings, Building A, a 105,150-square-foot building, and Building C, a 123,913-square-foot building, at Brown Field Technology Park, a 52-acre corporate industrial and office park that flanks SR-905 at the Britannia Boulevard on/off ramp in Otay Mesa. Completion of the two buildings is scheduled for the third quarter this year.
JLL’s Andy Irwin, Ryan Spradling and Greg Lewis are overseeing leasing of the two buildings.
In addition to these two buildings, MDC is nearing completion of a 180,000-square-foot build-to-suit two building campus for Salvation Army on the northern phase of the business park. They are also working on designs for the southern phase of the project with plans to deliver buildings on that phase in 2022.
SDG&E wins approval to eliminate high usage charge
San Diego Gas & Electric customers will no longer have to worry about getting hit with the state-mandated High Usage Charge (HUC) – a substantially higher price for electricity that kicks in for customers once their energy usage exceeds a certain threshold.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to eliminate the HUC –originally established by the state as a way to encourage energy conservation. This decision comes two years after SDG&E filed an application with the CPUC to remove the charge, which caused tens of thousands of customers’ bills to spike during hot summer months when air conditioning is used.
Eliminating the HUC is one of several initiatives that SDG&E has been pursuing to help stabilize bills for customers, the company said. Last year, the CPUC approved SDG&E’s request to eliminate seasonal changes in energy pricing for some customers as a way to make bills more predictable year round.
Luna collaborates with Scripps to expand
health system at-home care services
Luna, a company involved in in on-demand physical therapy, will collaborate with Scripps Health, a nonprofit health system in San Diego, to bring outpatient physical therapy services to patients in the San Diego area in the comfort of their homes. The new offering is part of the Scripps Health expanding slate of at-home health care services, including intensive home-based care, mobile phlebotomy, and telehealth.
Scripps will use Luna’s best-in-class technology platform and broad network of exceptional therapists to seamlessly match patients seeking care based on specialty, geography, schedules, and other factors. When patients request at-home care, a physical therapist will visit them at a time of their choosing.
San Diego County surpasses 1 million
COVID-19 vaccinations
More than a million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the region, the County Health and Human Services Agency reported today.
Of those vaccinated to date, more than 319,000, or nearly 12 percent of San Diegans 16 and older, are fully immunized. A total of 619,924 people, or 23.1 percent, have received at least one dose of the two-dose regimen.
The region’s vaccination efforts are slowed by shortages in vaccine supply, forcing several vaccination sites across the region to pause.
The following sites will be paused through Monday: the Lemon Grove Community Center, the Central Region Immunization Clinic in Logan Heights, the Copley-Price YMCA in City Heights, the Martin Luther King Community Center in National City, the Border View YMCA in Otay Mesa and the Linda Rhoades Recreation Center in Vista. The North Coastal Live Well Center in Oceanside is closed but will open Monday for second doses.
Cue Health gets first FDA authorization for
non-prescription COVID-19 test
Vista’sCue Healrh received U.S. Food and Drug Administrarion emergency use authorizarion doer its over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 test. The first molecular test authorized for at-home use without a prescription, Cue’s product ultimately aims to increase its availability of accurate and reliable tests for all Americans.
Walmart to spend additional $350 billion
with U.S. manufacturers
EDC Investor Walmart plans to spend an additional $350 billion over the next decade to support American manufacturers. The company will focus on purchasing materials and merchandise from domestic companies that produce plasrics, textiles, medical supplies, food procession, and electrical appliances.
Global campus Master’s Program in
screenwriting builds on Hollywood connections
Long a sought-after location for moviemakers and television, San Diego may be poised as a hotspot for the writers who dream up the stories for the small and big screens.
San Diego State University has launched a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting, created through a collaboration with SDSU Global Campus and the School of Theatre, Television, and Film.
The graduate-level program is designed for students who currently work in media production, as well as those who are interested in launching a career as a professional screenwriter. Notably, the diverse panel of filmmaking professionals leading the program includes SDSU alumnus J. Michael Straczynski, a highly accomplished writer and producer whose decades of industry experience began after years of reporting for The Daily Aztec.
Students will learn how to turn their creativity into compelling narratives designed for television, film, and other exciting new media.
USD’s Center for Restorative Justice expands
work nationally, thanks to Dept. of Justice partnership
The University of San Diego’s Center for Restorative Justice has joined forces with the University of Vermont, Vermont Law School and the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs to expand the work of the National Center of Restorative Justice.
U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, D-VT, recently announced the Vermont Law School received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for the National Center on Restorative Justice, which according to a press release from the senator, “focuses on engaging criminal justice professionals, community members, educators, and social service providers with incarcerated individuals and broaden their understanding of the justice system and restorative justice.”
The University of San Diego’s Center for Restorative Justice is a part of this collaboration alongside the Vermont Law School and University of Vermont.
The first initiatives at the University of San Diego, under the new collaboration, will be focused on the role restorative justice can play in policing to address long standing tension between many law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
