News & Events
New information on the waste-disposal units of living cells
Berkeley researchers led by Andreas Martin and Eva Nogales have provided the most detailed look ever at the "regulatory particle" used by the proteasome – one of the most critical protein machines in living cells – to identify and degrade proteins marked for destruction. This new information holds implications for a broad range of vital biochemical processes, including transcription, DNA repair and the immune defense system.
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Clearing a potential road block to bisabolane
Bisabolane, a terpene class chemical compound used in fragrances and flavorings, holds high promise as a biosynthetic alternative to D2 diesel fuel. Now Jay Keasling and his research team have determined the three-dimensional crystal structure of a protein that is key to boosting the microbial-based production of bisabolane as an advanced fuel.
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CAD for RNA
Jay Keasling and his colleagues have developed computer assisted design (CAD)-type tools for engineering RNA components to control genetic expression in microbes. This holds enormous potential for microbial-based production of advanced biofuels, biodegradable plastics, therapeutic drugs and a host of other goods now derived from petrochemicals.
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Research could help people with declining sense of smell
Researchers led by neuroscientist John Ngai have discovered a genetic trigger in olfactory stem cells that makes the nose renew its smell sensors, providing hope for new therapies for people who have lost their sense of smell due to trauma or old age.
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E. Coli bacteria engineered to eat switchgrass and make transportation fuels
Strains of E. coli bacteria have been engineered by Jay Keasling and his research team to digest switchgrass biomass and synthesize its sugars into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The switchgrass, which is among the most highly touted of the potential feedstocks for advanced biofuels, was pre-treated with ionic liquid, a key to the success of a new study.
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