June 26, 2025
India is one of the most diverse countries in the world. A new analysis of Indian genomes shows an ancient admixture of genes from Neanderthals and Denisovans, and more recent mingling of genes from Iranian farmers, Central Asian steppe pastoralists and hunter-gatherers from South Asia. Photo courtesy of unsplash With around 5,000 different ethno-linguistic and…
June 25, 2025
Ever wonder how your body digests food, or how some industrial processes become “greener”? The answer often lies with enzymes – nature’s microscopic workhorses that speed up vital chemical reactions. A recent study in Science, uses a high-throughput enzymology platform to study nearly 200 different versions of an enzyme called adenylate kinase found in living things…
June 06, 2025
QB3-Berkeley scientists peek in on algae at night to discover how these organisms prepare for another stressful day on the job. After a long day at work, we humans might recharge by sipping tea, soaking in a candle-lit bubble bath, and finally getting some shut eye. What do algae do to unwind? These tiny photosynthesizers…
April 30, 2025
Many successful drugs are based on medicinal plants used and stewarded for generations by Native communities. A UC Berkeley doctoral student says these communities should also benefit. As a descendent of an indigenous Amazonian tribe, Maria Astolfi was concerned about research she conducted as a graduate student at UC Berkeley involving an extract of a…
April 28, 2025
Six UC Berkeley faculty members from a diverse range of fields are among nearly 250 newly elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the organization announced in a recent press release. The new Berkeley electees include leading experts in mathematics, statistics, computer science, molecular biology, neurobiology and comparative literature. Since 1780, the…
April 28, 2025
Computational modeling gives us a peek inside these important microbial communities Within our gut live trillions of microorganisms, mostly in the form of dense, organized communities along the intestinal lining. These microbial clusters, known as biofilms, are dynamic ecosystems essential to digestion, immune function and protecting us from disease. Yet understanding how they work has…
April 17, 2025
When most people hear about a fishing expedition in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, they might picture researchers snorkeling through coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea or diving into crystal-clear cenotes, surrounded by postcard-perfect scenery. But nothing I had imagined—or Googled—before my first field trip came close to the reality we faced in our search for pupfishes.…
April 09, 2025
This month, we’re highlighting a trainee in a QB3-Berkeley lab by speaking with Marco Dueñas, who is a plant biology PhD candidate in Sabeeha Merchant’s lab. His research focuses on using green algae as a platform for fundamental discovery and synthetic biology. QB3-Berkeley: What inspired you to pursue research in this field and to join…