HEALTH CARE
In March , the respiratory immunologist and associate dean for translational research at the UC Davis School of Medicine was tasked with overseeing the development of research projects related to COVID-19 , including the development of testing , therapies and vaccines that blend seamlessly with meat .
fats and flavors to create allergen-free ,
characteristics of animal protein , says
had ( the virus ),” Haczku says , “ but
where the virus originated . “ Thanks to chickpea with its wild relatives , separated by as much as 100,000 years ,
nutritional needs , reduce agriculture ’ s
The two startups , launched in 2018 and 2019 , respectively , are the first companies to bring the alternative-protein
showed that the virus was no longer
The novel coronavirus was first
around the world were already working on a vaccine before the general public ignited worldwide to address the global
nutrition for a growing population and
ethical practices of industrial animal
it ’ s produced , essentially using plants ,
meat , egg and dairy products , says Amy Huang , who works with universi-
December 2020 | comstocksmag . com 37
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2020 California Journalism Awards California News Publishers Association
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
Allison Otto
Executive Vice President Otto Construction
FIRST PLACE
Inside layout and design
Karen Bond
Cofounder and CEO Cedaron
” Follow Her Lead ” by Carly Cornejo and Rachel Valley
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment , we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Photos by Rachel Valley
Tina Reynolds
Founder and President Uptown Studios
March 2020 | comstocksmag . com 45 44 comstocksmag . com | March 2020
FIRST PLACE
Coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic
” Vaccination Anticipation ” by Jessica Laskey
Vaccination Anticipation
s the world continued to settle into the uneasy stasis of pandemic life in July , Dr . Angela Haczku was already five months into her research on COVID-19 .
UC Davis researchers join the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine
BY Jessica Laskey | DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION BY Kelly Barr PHOTOS BY Fred Greaves
came just weeks after UC Davis Medical Center had diagnosed the United States ’ first case of community-acquired COVID-19 in late February .
“ We had a suspicion that the patient
Because of our case , the ( Food and Drug Administration ) relaxed criteria for test development to keep up with the sneaky nature of this disease .” The local case testing was not readily available ” for patients who didn ’ t meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criterion at the time that the virus could only be acquired after having direct contact with someone who ’ d traveled to China , localized to China and had spread into the international community , which meant that testing was going to need to be more rapidly and widely available to identify — and , hopefully , help contain — the spread .
28 comstocksmag . com | December 2020 for SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 . Haczku ’ s assignment to head up this immense scientific undertaking the insistence and persistence of UC Davis doctors , the CDC and local authorities finally approved our request for testing — and the patient tested positive . detected in November 2019 and “ sequenced ” ( its genetic makeup determined ) by January , so researchers
FAMILY BUSINESS
December 2020 | comstocksmag . com 29
Lineage of Success
Family businesses are the heart and soul of Little Saigon in south Sacramento
BY Lien Hoang PHOTOS BY Rachel Valley
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Feature story
” Lineage of Success ” by Lien Hoang
October 2020 | comstocksmag . com 31
FOOD
30 comstocksmag . com | October 2020
FIRST PLACE
Agricultural reporting
” Promise for New Proteins ” by Jennifer Junghans
Promise for New Proteins
Advancements in the alternative-protein space ignite in the Sacramento area
BY Jennifer Junghans | DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION BY Kelly Barr
market to the Capital Region . Efforts to advance the emerging food market using science and technology have
Plant proteins such as pea , bamboo
n a West Sacramento lab , Kirsten percent , reducing the number of animals used for food and increasing the
Kehlet , a product developer for The Better Meat Co ., works with a nutritional profile . team of microbiologists , chemical In Davis , Douglas Cook , cofounder engineers , chefs and food scientists and chief scientific officer of NuCi- to develop plant-based ingredients
cer , is developing novel varieties of chickpea by breeding the modern-day challenge of food access and proper and algae are combined with fibers , the unsustainable environmental and clean label formulas that mimic the to produce various lines of chickpeas agriculture as it barrels toward the
Kehlet — clean label foods have as that offer a single ingredient to meet planet ’ s capacity on land and at sea . few ( and recognizable ) ingredients as possible . Those formulas are designed environmental footprint and fuel the alternative-meat sector .
The market is projected to change where our protein comes from and how
36 comstocksmag . com | December 2020 to be blended with animal meats such as ground beef and sausage up to 50 microbes and animal cells to recapitulate the experience of conventional
Plus ! COMSTOCK ’ S WON A TOTAL OF 14 AWARDS ALL PLACED IN THE TOP 4 FINISHES !