News
Like the Borg of Star Trek, these ‘aliens’ assimilate DNA from other microbes
October 20, 2022
Only a meter or two below our feet dwells a wealth of microbes whose riches remain largely unexplored. It’s a realm where bacteria, bacteria-like organisms called archaea and fungi mingle with viruses and other non-living bits of DNA or DNA — all living with, in or on one another. In that alien world, researchers have…
Faculty focus on Sanjay Kumar
October 18, 2022
Sanjay Kumar, MD, PhD, is Chancellor’s Professor in the Departments of Bioengineering and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at UC Berkeley. He holds joint appointments in the UCSF Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In 1996, Kumar earned his BS in chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota, and in…
NextProf Nexus: Cultivating a new generation of engineering faculty
September 27, 2022
For aspiring faculty in engineering, the academic career track can be a steep climb — and that path can be even more challenging for candidates from underrepresented communities. That’s why Berkeley Engineering has partnered with the colleges of engineering at the University of Michigan and Georgia Tech to sponsor the annual NextProf Nexus mentoring workshop, held this…
UC Berkeley, Berkeley Lab researchers receive $11.6 million in Department of Energy funding
September 14, 2022
Teams led by researchers from UC Berkeley, the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), and Berkeley Lab have received a combined $11.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop biofuel and bioproducts from a photosynthetic micro-alga. The funding is part of $178 million in DOE awards granted to 37 projects that will develop new…
Faculty focus on Phillip Messersmith
September 07, 2022
Phillip Messersmith is a professor of bioengineering at UC Berkeley where he is the Class of 1941 Endowed Professor of Bioengineering and Materials Science and Engineering. His laboratory is interested in understanding structure-property relationships in biological materials and in using this information to design biologically inspired materials for use in healthcare. QB3-Berkeley: What is the…
Berkeley researchers and collaborators help reveal a ‘blueprint’ for photosynthesis
August 31, 2022
New findings in microbes called cyanobacteria present new opportunities for plant science, bioengineering and environmental protection. UC Berkeley researchers and colleagues at Michigan State University, the University of South Bohemia and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have helped reveal the most detailed picture to date of important biological “antennae.” Nature has evolved these structures to harness…
Print, Recycle, Repeat: Scientists Demonstrate a Biodegradable Printed Circuit
August 29, 2022
A Berkeley Lab-led research team has developed a fully recyclable and biodegradable printed circuit. The advance could divert wearable devices and other flexible electronics from landfill, and mitigate the health and environmental hazards posed by heavy metal waste. According to the United Nations, less than a quarter of all U.S. electronic waste gets recycled. In 2021…