Biology@Berkeley
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
MCB Postdoc Temprana Named Pew Latin American Fellow
Silvio Temprana, a postdoc in Assistant Professor Hillel Adesnik's lab, is one of 10 Pew Latin American Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences. He is studying information processing in the brain and whether an animal's perception can be altered.
Shaking Up Genome Regulation
A Berkeley Lab team led by Dr. Gary Karpen, Adjunct Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, "uncovered evidence that heterochromatin organizes large parts of the genome into specific regions of the nucleus using liquid-liquid phase separation, a mechanism well-known in physics but whose importance for biology has only recently been revealed."
Saijo Named 2017 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences
Kaoru Saijo, Assistant Professor of Immunology & Pathogenesis, is one of 22 exceptional early-career researchers appointed as 2017 Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Saijo will study how immune cells in the brain play a role in the development of depression.
Spring 2017 Newsletter
What has MCB been up to? Learn about some of our incoming faculty, undergraduate research projects, our faculty entrepeneurs, graduate students giving back to the community, and more! Read the print version of the MCB Transcript from Spring 2017.
Adesnik Lab Explores How Neurons Encode Scanned Space
Assistant Professor of Neurobiology Hillel Adesnik's lab has a new paper accepted in Neuron. They examine spatial coding in the rodent whisker system during active sensation and the resulting cortical representation of the scanned space.
MCB IAP event creates new industry alliances
The MCB Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP) kickoff event on May 12th was a great success! MCB faculty, postdocs and students enjoyed networking with representatives from a variety of innovative bioscience companies including Agenovir, AstraZeneca, Acerta Pharma, Biotech Partners, Driver, Grifols, Thermo Fisher Scientific, 10x Genomics and 4D Moelcular Therapeutics. To learn more about the IAP program or participate in future events, please email mcbiap@berkeley.edu or read more here.
Lammel Named 2017 Rita Allen Foundation Scholar
Stephan Lammel, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, is one of the seven biomedical scientists named Rita Allen Foundation Scholars whose research holds exceptional promise for revealing new pathways to advance human health. Stephan will examine the mechanisms by which chronic stress can lead to depression.
Identifying the Sleep Control Network
Work performed in HHMI Investigator and MCB Professor of Neurobiology Yang Dan's lab, in collaboration with labs from UCSF, Stanford, and other institutions identifies the sleep-active and sleep-promoting neurons in the preoptic area of the hypothalmus using neural projection tracing tools.
Lishko Named Rose Hill Innovator
Assistant Professor Polina Lishko has been named one of the three Rose Hill Innovators on the UC Berkeley campus for her work on "Molecular basis of the age-related reproductive decline in females."
Gibbons Awarded Shaw Prize
Longtime MCB visiting scholar, Dr. Ian Gibbons, has received the prestigious Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine, awarded each year by the Shaw Prize Foundation of Hong Kong.
Ngai's Team Tracks Olfactory Stem Cell Transformation
MCB Professor John Ngai's lab, in conjunction with other UC Berkeley statisticians and computer scientists, was able to trace which stem cells in the nose become specialized based on their RNA profiles. The research could possibly lead to an eventual cure for anosmia.
Brohawn Receives McKnight Scholar Award
MCB Assistant Professor of Neurobiology Stephen Brohawn was chosen for a 2017 McKnight Scholar Award, for his resarch on "Mechanisms of biological force sensation." The McNight Scholar is one of the most prestigious honors that a young early-career neurobiologist can receive.
Lishko Discovers Anti-fertility Properties in Two Chemicals
MCB Assistant Professor Polina Lishko is in the news again for her work involving contraceptives research. "Two chemicals found in anti-fertility folk medicines block a key step in fertilization – the meeting of egg and sperm – and may make effective alternatives to today’s hormone-based contraceptives, which sometimes cause side effects."
Botchan Named Dean of Biological Sciences
MCB Professor Michael Botchan, interim dean of the Division of Biological Sciences since July, 2016, was named permanent Dean of the division and will join the Council of Deans on campus. Congratulations Dean Botchan!
Penhoet Honored with Fiat Lux Faculty Award
MCB Professor Emeritus Edward Penhoet is the recipient of the 2017 Fiat Lux Faculty Award from UC Berkeley and the Cal Alumni Association. The award recognizes a faculty member whose extraordinary contributions go above and beyond the call fo duty.
Garcia and Lammel Receive Hellman Fellows Fund Awards
MCB Assistant Professors Hernan Garcia and Stephan Lammel were named Hellman Fellows Fund recipients. The award supports the research of promising assistant professors who show capacity for great distinction in their research. Garcia's proposal is "The Dynamical Embryo: Technology for a Movie-Based View of Developmental Biology," and Lammel's is "An Ethological Approach Towards Understanding the Effects of Chronic Stress in the Brain."
Baiting the Bug
The labs of Qiang Zhou and Jim Hurley, professors in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, have been leading the efforts to investigate a new approach to treating HIV. MCB graduate student Zichong Li profiles their work in this Berkeley Science Review article.
Schroeder Wins University Medal!
Grant Schroeder, an IB major and undergraduate researcher in Professor Harland's lab, was awarded the prestigious 2017 University Medal. Given to the most distinguished graduating senior on the UC Berkeley campus, he will speak at the upcoming campus-wide commencement and is joined by four runners up, including Biochemistry major, Giana Cirolia.
MCB Undergrad University Medal Finalist
Giana Cirolia, an MCB undergaduate (Biochemistry) and researcher in Professor Andrew Dillin's lab, is one of four runner-ups for the 2017 University Medal. After graduation she plans to continue in research.
MCB Launches Industrial Affiliates Program
MCB is pleased to announce a new program designed to enhance interactions with industry. The MCB Industrial Affiliates Program (IAP) offers innovative companies the opportunity to recruit outstanding students and postdocs from our top-ranked department, exposure to cutting edge research, and rewarding scientific exchange with our faculty. The IAP launch event will be held on May 12th. Please visit our website or email mcbiap@berkeley.edu for more details.