A researcher wearing a blue lab coat holds up a beaker

Focus on: PhD candidate Marco Dueñas

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…

People milling around in an open atrium.

We’re hiring: QB3-Berkeley seeks student communications assistant

QB3-Berkeley seeks a talented, reliable, organized, and design-minded student to join our team as a communications and administrative assistant. This position will work with QB3-Berkeley’s leadership to help us communicate our research, outreach, programming, and events to the UC Berkeley community and beyond. UC Berkeley students who have strong verbal and written communication skills and…

Aaron Streets in a front of an academic building wearing a grey sweater.

Aaron Streets inducted into the 2025 class of the AIMBE college of fellows

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Aaron Streets, Ph.D., Lester John and Lynne Dewar Lloyd Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Associate Professor of Bioengineering at University of California, Berkeley to its College of Fellows. Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest…

Headshot of Suzanne Baker over a blue background with text "University of California, Berkeley qb3."

Showing Up and Authentically Caring with Professional in Residence Suzanne Baker

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with Suzanne Baker, head of Cellular and Tissue Imaging at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, ahead of her Professional in Residence at QB3-Berkeley on April 9th. Graduate students and postdocs can register here for Baker’s visit. We had a wonderful time chatting about science, hobbies, and…

Headshots of Phillip Messersmith, David Bilder, Bernard Sadoulet, Diana Bautista, Fei Xu, Lexin Li and Kam-Biu Luk.

Phillip Messersmith named fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science

The 2024 class of AAAS fellows includes UC Berkeley researchers from the fields of biology, physics, psychology, engineering and statistics. Seven UC Berkeley faculty members from a broad range of fields are among the 2024 class of fellows elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest general…

A group of lab members gathered around a table for a meal.

Faculty focus on: Andreas Stahl

Andreas Stahl is the Ruth Okey Professor in the Department of Nutritional Science & Toxicology at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on developing innovative strategies to combat obesity-related disorders, including Type 2 diabetes and metabolic liver diseases. Stahl’s lab explores lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and adipose tissue biology, with a particular interest in engineering solutions…

Headshot of Brian Staskawicz.

Brian Staskawicz awarded Wolf Prize in Agriculture

Brian Staskawicz, a professor of the graduate school in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at UC Berkeley, has been awarded the 2025 Wolf Prize in Agriculture in recognition of his groundbreaking discoveries of the immune system and disease resistance in plants. The Wolf Prize is an international award granted by the Wolf Foundation…

a close-up image of an Egyptian blue lotus being held by hands with black gloves

Investigating the psychedelic blue lotus of Egypt, where ancient magic meets modern science

Online, products branded as the blue lotus promise calm moments and psychedelic trips. But they’re far different from what ancient Egyptians consumed, a UC Berkeley student researcher says. Few plants are more celebrated in Egyptian mythology than the blue lotus, a stunning water lily that stars in some of archaeology’s most significant discoveries. Researchers found…