Welcome to our new blog about what’s going on in the greater Torrey Pines Mesa area, aka Where the Biotechs Start, aka UC San Diego and its network of spinoffs, scientists and big business. We’ve been growing more and more obsessed with the area, its discoveries, facilities, personalities, and potential for a while now. We write about all of this in San Diego Magazine (often as part of bigger features like “Reasons to Love SD” or “Big Ideas” or “People to Watch“). But when you are obsessed, monthly lists aren’t enough. Neither are one-off profiles, like this one on the tiny liver makers in Sorrento Mesa. They make real livers!
And we’re now working on a whole new special publication dedicated to this stuff. We, as a city, don’t talk enough about it or care enough about it. And by enough, I mean I don’t hear people talking about genomics or tiny livers at parties or on the sidelines of kids’ soccer games. And as a media company with a broad readership throughout the county (and a growing readership across the border), I think we can help with that.
The print publication will start early in 2016. In the meantime on this page, we will link to news stories, updates from local science and research institutions, original interviews and stories from our team, contributions from local experts, and all kinds of other interesting stuff. We’re going to station a “Man on the Beach” to interview surfing scientists (there are a lot of them), and name a VIP, Very Important Protein, of the week. There’s a grad student at Scripps Research Institute who made an amazing breakthrough on Ebola by studying one single protein for two years! If you have an idea or would like to contribute, email me.
Here are a few things to talk about at your next cocktail party, poker night or kids soccer game this week:
Isis Pharmaceuticals just got $65 million from a big drug company to further develop new drugs with their special technology. Isis is a leader in “antisense technology advancement” and “RNA-targeted drug discovery.” That’s what the science part of their website says. But if you look at their mission, the very first line is, “We know that sick people depend on us.” (Note: Part of our goal on this blog is to bridge that gap in understanding, from the laboratory science to the sick people. That’s when we all start to realize how critical San Diego-area companies and people are to the future of our overall health.) This New York Times post did a pretty good job of talking about what Isis is good at a few years ago and with a different drug. If you’re wondering about the unfortunate connotation of the name Isis, so was KPBS.
An LA university would like to get in on the action (the science, the discovery, and huge amounts of grant money that help it all grow) here in La Jolla. It’s been a bumpy road for them. It sure says a lot about our innovation mojo when it doesn’t make sense for an LA institution to do this kind of research and development on its own, considering the powerhouse talent and collaborative community (and money for research) we already have established here. Happy, surf-y San Diego is a scientific powerhouse! On bluffs, with less smog! The Union-Tribune is sure taking the LA overture as a compliment. It will be interesting to watch the drama play out, because traditionally the scientific, business, and educational communities have a reputation for being friendly and collaborative. There are more lawyers and lawsuits since LA came to town (or tried to).
A lot of scientists, like La Jolla’s famous Eric Topol, are active on Twitter. It’s cool because Twitter, with its character limit, forces you to be succinct and get right to the point, something not all scientists are known for.
Art and science go together in many ways. The La Jolla area, for sure, is a center for both. The Today Show was recently here to film a story on the new Dr. Suess book, uncovered from the estate of the late Theodore Geisel. (Exploring how art and science intersect in theory, in practice and funding (longtime La Jollan Geisel and his widow Audrey have donated millions to scientific institutions) will get some kind of regular coverage here and in the new publication).
On becoming obsessed with science…
Photo by Chad McDermott / Shutterstock
Archive
OCTOBER 23, 2023
The Problem With Bright Red Tuna
Many Americans still think bright red tuna means it's fresher (it's not)
You know the tuna I’m talking about. It’s easy to mistake for a cube of watermelon. It’s the color of a Lyft logo. Appears to be glowing a vibrant, tantalizing purity. Tuna that bright red or pink means it’s… what, extremely fresh? Bursting with nutrients?
I thought this was widely known, but a chef recently told me very few of his staff members were aware of this, and almost none of his customers. So, especially with the recent proliferation of poke joints, I thought I’d be helpful with this PSA of sorts.
Bright red or pink tuna means it has been gassed. In its natural state, fresh tuna is dark red, almost maroon, sometimes even chocolatey-looking.
But here’s why I personally tend to back away when I see bright red or pink tuna:
1. IT’S MUCH HARDER TO TELL IF IT’S FRESH OR NOT.
It can be left out for days and it will not turn brown. In one study, the University of Florida found that carbon monoxided tuna kept its bright red color for 11 days in the fridge. “The carbon monoxide actually hides the quality of a fish,” says Tommy Gomes, fifth-generation San Diego fisherman, host of The Fishmonger on Outdoor Channel, and owner of seafood shop Tunaville in Point Loma. “It’ll make a poor-quality fish pretty like a rose. I’ve seen them take an old piece of brown tuna [and] put the gas on it, and it comes out looking like cherry lemonade.” The gas also masks the smell of old tuna (which is one way you can tell if tuna’s getting past its eat-by stage). “Since there’s no smell, it falsifies the freshness,” Gomes explains.
2. I TRUST GOVERNMENT HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE THEY’RE NOT PERFECT.
The 1992 USDA food pyramid suggested carbs should be the bulk of our diet (they corrected that in 2005 and 2011). The government approved the fat substitute Olestra, which gave people all sorts of tummy issues. Margarine and other trans fats were also approved, then banned in May 2019. There are some smart humans in the government, but even geniuses make mistakes. So I tend to go with my gut: tuna in its natural state, or tuna treated with carbon monoxide? Easy choice.
So why gas tuna at all? Because of us. Consumers don’t like brownish fish. Tuna oxidizes quickly. It’s difficult for tuna fishermen and women to get it to market quick enough before it turns that brownish or chocolatey color. Customers erroneously think all brownish-looking fish is old or bad and will pay more for “fresher-looking” fish. So in the 1990s, the FDA allowed companies to gas the tuna and keep it artificially bright red for long stretches at a time.
“There’s nothing wrong with a hot chocolate–looking tuna loin,” says Gomes. “But, here in America, we want [it] seared on the outside, rosy pink on the inside.”
What fresh tuna should look like
Gassed tuna is also often imported and less inexpensive than fresh, un-gassed tuna, says Gomes. “So, to be fair and honest,” Gomes acknowledges, “for families on a budget, gassed tuna is one of the best alternatives out there for frozen seafood.”
In theNew York Times article cited above, a sushi restaurant owner reported his sales of tuna tripled when he started using gassed tuna. So that’s obviously good for the small business owner, as well as grocery stores. Food waste is a massive epidemic—the US throws out about half of edible seafood. If gassed tuna gets Americans to eat perfectly edible tuna they otherwise might throw out, that’s a step in a good direction.
But it’d be better if we as consumers knew that fresh, non-gassed tuna is supposed to be dark red or maroon—not bright red or watermelon pink, like a majority of the tuna I’ve seen at local poke shops. Ideally, we would look at a piece of bright red/pink tuna and think “Oh, hey there, carbon monoxide.”
The most important things about buying tuna is to trust the source (whether grocery store, fishmonger, or sushi joint). It also should be shiny and somewhat translucent, and not have slime or an off-smell.
Troy Johnson is the magazine’s award-winning food writer and humorist, and a long-standing expert on Food Network. His work has been featured on NatGeo, Travel Channel, NPR, and in Food Matters, a textbook of the best American food writing.
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
Courtesy of ASID
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
Courtesy of ASID
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
