New coronavirus video explains molecular virology
Britt Glaunsinger, a professor of plant and microbial biology and investigator at the Innovative Genomics Institute, breaks down the latest scientific understanding of coronaviruses while addressing important unanswered questions. Watch on the Berkeley Rausser College of Natural Resources. >
UC Berkeley scientists spin up a robotic COVID-19 testing lab
Scientists at UC Berkeley’s Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) are creating a diagnostic lab with the capability to process more than 1,000 patient samples per day. “The team is racing to address this critical public health situation by establishing a testing lab that will be immediately impactful in our community, while also generating data that contributes to understanding the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” said Jennifer Doudna. Read more on Berkeley News. >
New technique “prints” cells to create diverse biological environments
UC Berkeley researchers, including David Schaffer and Lydia Sohn, have created a new technique that utilizes photolithography and programmable DNA to rapidly “print” two-dimensional arrays of cells and proteins that mimic a variety of cellular environments in the body. Read more on Berkeley News. >
Hemai Parthasarathy visits QB3-Berkeley
On March 6th, Hemai Parthasarathy visited QB3-Berkeley as a Professional in Residence (PIR). Parthasarathy is the Scientific Director of Breakout Labs (Thiel Foundation) and Chief Scientific Officer and Partner of Breakout Ventures. She provided her expertise and industry experiences overseeing a philanthropic program that supports scientist-entrepreneurs, including her role as a CSO of a new fund that backs deep-technology, biology, materials, and energy. Sign-up for the next PIR, Publisher and Executive Editor of PLOS Dr. Veronique Kiermer, on QB3-Berkeley’s Graduate and Postdoc Career Development office’s website. >
UC Berkeley scientists discover new brain cells that protect muscles from wasting away
UC Berkeley scientists, including Andrew Dillin, have found new brain cells that help clean up the tangles of proteins aggregating in our brains and muscles as we age, potentially causing Alzheimer’s disease or other types of neurodegeneration. These new brain cells can prolong life and lead to drugs that improve muscle health or extend a healthy human lifespan. Read more on Berkeley News. >
Dr. Alison Moore visits QB3-Berkeley
On February 20th, Dr. Alison Moore visited QB3-Berkeley as a Professional in Residence (PIR). Dr. Moore, the Chief Technical Officer for Allogene Therapeutics, gave a presentation on her experiences as a CTO for a biotechnology company with a mission to revolutionize cancer treatment. She offered students and postdocs insight about her role overseeing product sciences, supply chain, manufacturing, quality and technical operations. Sign-up for the next PIR, Dr. Hemai Parthasarathy Scientific Director of Breakout Labs and Chief Scientific Officer of Breakout Ventures, on QB3-Berkeley’s Graduate and Postdoc Career Development office’s website. >
