Newsletter: Tapuy rice wine fermentation yields possible anti-aging superfood

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Filipino researchers have found a way to optimize the traditional procedure for making Philippine rice wine or “tapuy” to produce a potential superfood rich in anti-aging compounds and antioxidants. 

“Tapuy” rice wine starts out as a mixture of black and white glutinous rice (A), which is fermented using a starter culture or “bubod.” After a month, the solid residues from the fermentation process or “lees” (B) are filtered out and usually discarded. CREDIT: Bragais and Medina, 2025

Newsletter: UP Scientists Introduce Eco-Friendly Way to Create Gold Nanocorals

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Scientists from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) have pioneered a simpler, faster, cheaper, and more eco-friendly method to fabricate gold nanocorals by using natural, low-cost acids in water at room temperature.

A representative SEM image (false-colored) of Au nanocorals. (Photo credit: Ende et al., 2025)

Gold nanostructures have unique properties that depend on their shape. Branched structures resembling tiny corals, particularly gold nanocorals, have been proven valuable in applications such as chemical detection (SERS-based), fluorescence imaging, and catalysis. However, their production often involves complex, costly, and environmentally harmful processes.

Newsletter: UP Biologists Develop an Aptamer-based Test for Trichomoniasis Detection

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Schematic representation of the assay. (Photo credit: Justo et al., 2024)

The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to eliminate sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemics as significant public health threats by 2030. One of the four main non-viral and curable STIs, trichomoniasis, stays persistent, affecting 156 million out of 376 million individuals aged 15–49 in     . About 70–85% of persons with trichomoniasis show no signs of infection, highlighting the urgent need for accurate, fast, and accessible detection of Trichomonas vaginalis, the parasite that causes the infection.

Newsletter: Venomous Jellyfish Found in PH Waters, Biologists Confirm

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Box jellyfishes are known for their distinctive box-like appearance and their potent venom, which can cause severe stings and fatalities. In the Philippines, many coastal communities are well aware of the dangers posed by box jellyfishes, but Filipino scientists noted that the government does not have a systematic plan to address this issue.

Preserved specimen of C. yamaguchii. (Photo credit: Boco et al., 2025)

Based on previous studies by marine researchers, a team of biologists hypothesized that Chironex yamaguchii, a dangerous species of box jellyfish known from Japan, is also present in Philippine waters. This box jellyfish was found to cause severe stings and even fatalities in the Indo-Pacific and Western Pacific regions. Their tentacles can inflict extreme pain, cause skin injuries with welts, and even trigger heart attacks and death.

Newsletter: UPD-CS Mathematicians Introduce Innovative Matrix Decomposition Framework

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Matrix decomposition is an area of linear algebra which is focused on expressing a matrix as a product of matrices with prescribed properties. (Photo credit: Merino et al., 2024)

Imagine discovering an ancient treasure chest sealed with a complex dual-lock mechanism, requiring two keys that must work together in a precise way. A matrix—a rectangular array of numbers—is like a locked chest holding valuable information that helps us understand the world around us. Matrices need keys like decompositions, which break them down into simpler components while preserving their essential properties, to help us understand them better. At times, special kinds of decompositions are required to have a deeper understanding of matrices.

Newsletter: UPD-CS Spearheads Workshop on Promoting Innovation and Industry Collaboration

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Participants of the OGSM Workshop. (Photo credit: UPD-CS Innovation Committee)

Institutions around the globe are working toward creating scientific innovations to address the challenges faced by humanity. Likewise, Filipino scientists are striving to find solutions to the Philippines' concerns.

Newsletter: UP Geologist Represents Southeast Asia in Global Young Scientists Summit 2025

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Dr. John Dale Dianala of UPD-CS NIGS represented UP Diliman at the GYSS 2025. (Photo credit: Global Young Scientists Summit)

Dr. John Dale Dianala from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s National Institute of Geological Sciences (UPD-CS NIGS) presented his research on the earthquake potential of faults using satellites at the recently concluded Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2025.

Newsletter: UPD Experts Determine the Optimal Model for Predicting Algal Blooms

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By Harvey Sapigao

Graphical abstract of the study (Photo credit: Pilario et. al. 2024).

Algal blooms, which occur when algae overgrow in bodies of water, can not only turn the water green but also kill fish and contaminate the water supply of nearby communities. Laguna Lake, one of Metro Manila’s major sources of bangus and tilapia, as well as drinking water, is particularly prone to algal blooms, especially during El Niño.

Newsletter: UPMV K9 Dog Obedience Workshop Open to the Public

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The University of the Philippines - Metro Manila Development Authority - Vanguard K9 Corps (UPMV K9 Corps) invites all dog owners to our Dog Obedience Workshop, happening on January 25 and February 1, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. This two-day event aims to foster stronger bonds between owners and their canine companions while promoting responsible pet ownership as part of our disaster preparedness initiatives.  

Newsletter: UP Physicists Extend Condensed-Matter Principle in Realistic Set-Ups

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By Harvey Sapigao

Liquid helium in superfluid phase. (Photo credit: Alfred Leitner)

At extremely cold temperatures, things become fascinating. Much like how water turns into ice, some matter undergoes phase transitions that give them interesting properties. Just above absolute zero, for example, aluminum transforms into a superconductor, while helium isotopes change from gas to superfluid. A foundational principle, known as the Kibble-Zurek mechanism (KZM), explains how these materials behave as they cool at different rates.

Newsletter: UP Geologists Report Subsidence Rates in Select PH Metropolitan Cities

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Land subsidence, or the gradual sinking of the ground, threatens not only Metro Manila but also other cities.

Extreme damage running along the length of a road in Marilao, Bulacan is visible. (Photo credit: Sulapas et. al., 2024)

Excessive groundwater extraction, rapid urbanization, tectonic motion, and the natural compaction of sediments contribute to land subsidence worldwide. This issue is worsened by rising sea levels due to climate change, leading to frequent and severe flooding especially during high tides or typhoons, as well as local contexts of hazard management regulations.

Newsletter: CS Researchers Receive UPD 2024 REPS Chair and REPS Awards

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Researchers from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) are recipients of the University’s first-ever recognition for its Research, Extension, and Professional Staff (REPS).

Researchers from UPD-CS will be recognized at UP Diliman’s first-ever recognition focused on its Research, Extension, and Professional Staff (REPS). (Photo credit: Craig Soroño).

The UP Diliman REPS Chair and REPS Awards aims to recognize the achievements of the REPS in the fields of research and creative work, extension services, and professional public service. These awards also aim to encourage REPS to advance knowledge and learning in their respective fields, establish scientific and thought laboratories, and develop collaborative programs that support UP’s mandate as the nation’s leading research university.

Newsletter: Documentary on UP Marine Science Institute’s work on plastics wins at Bantog Awards

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By: Eunice Jean Patron

MSI researchers are collecting sediment samples from coastal areas, which will be analyzed in their laboratory to detect the presence of microplastic particles. (Photo credit: Microbial Oceanography Laboratory)

A documentary featuring projects of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s Marine Science Institute (UPD-CS MSI) received the Best Science and Technology Investigative Story (Audio-Visual) trophy at the Department of Science and Technology’s 2024 Bantog Awards for Science Communication.

Newsletter: UP Mathematicians Introduce a Different Approach in Detecting Potential Stock Market Crashes

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By: Harvey Sapigao

The process of Topological Data Analysis. (Photo credit: Riñon et. al. 2024)

A data analysis method that borrows concepts from topology – the so-called “rubber-sheet geometry” – may soon find its way to a stock trader’s toolkit in analyzing market movements. This method, called Topological Data Analysis (TDA), uncovers patterns in large datasets, preparing them for deeper analysis.

Newsletter: UP Scientists Create Thermoresponsive Polymers for Potential Biomedical Use

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By: Eunice Jean Patron

Thermoresponsive polymers are molecules that undergo significant changes in their properties in response to temperature changes and are widely used in biomedicine, such as drug delivery, tissue growth, and gene transfer, as noted by researchers Ward and Georgiou in their 2011 study.

Newsletter: UP Researchers Investigate E. coli Levels in Urban Farm Vegetables

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By Eunice Jean C. Patron

Researchers gather samples of mustasa, or mustard greens (Brassica juncea), at New Greenland Farm in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City. (Photo credit: The Research Team)

A type of bacterium called Escherichia coli (E. coli), found in the feces of humans and animals, is often released into bodies of water such as streams. Although most E. coli strains are harmless, some can cause foodborne diseases such as gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, and dysentery. Feces are a major source of microbial contamination in fresh produce. With the rise of urban farming in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to monitor fresh produce from urban farms to recognize and address food safety issues immediately.

Newsletter: UP Scientists Explore Non-Gaussian Laser Effects on Metal Heat Diffusion

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By: Eunice Jean Patron

While existing research on material properties rarely examines changes in laser pulses, or the flashes of laser lights, over time, scientists from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) approached laser exploration differently by investigating how non-Gaussian lasers affect the diffusion of heat in metals.

Pulsed laser ablation of a material inside a vacuum system. (Photo credit: Dr. Lean Dasallas)

Newsletter: ‘Death Is Not a Failure’: Enhancing Dolphin Disease Knowledge Through Hands-on Training

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Veterinarians measuring the length of a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) (Photo credit: Eunice Jean Patron)

Albeit disheartening, scientists said the death of a stranded dolphin is not entirely a setback during the “Cetacean Pathology Training and Workshop: Pathogenesis of Common Diseases in Stranded Dolphins,” held on June 24, 2024, at the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (UPD-CS IESM), Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Laboratory (MMRCL).

Newsletter: UP Professors Urge Long-term Monitoring of West Philippine Sea Resources

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By: Eunice Jean Patron

The ongoing dispute over the West Philippine Sea between China and the Philippines hinders Filipino scientists from conducting scientific work in Philippine territory, but something can still be done.

Guest speakers of the SCIENCE x WPS forum held on May 13, 2024 (Photo credit: Craig Soroño).

The University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) facilitated a public forum titled SCIENCE X WPS: Opportunities and Challenges for Scientists in the West Philippine Sea on May 13, 2024. During the public forum, UP professors discussed the current geopolitical and ecological situation in the West Philippine Sea, as well as strategies that scientists and researchers can use to protect and preserve the sea’s marine resources.

Newsletter: Two UPD College of Science Professors Win the NRCP Achievement Award

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By Harvey Sapigao

Dr. Cristine Villagonzalo receiving the Achievement Award (Photo credit: DOST-NRCP)

Dr. Cristine Villagonzalo and Dr. Reynaldo Garcia from the UP Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) received the prestigious Achievement Award from the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) in the recently held Annual Scientific Conference and 91st General Membership Assembly last March 12, 2024.