By Date
Eric Romero awarded NASA Future Investigators graduate fellowship
Q&A Development Economics
New research identifies key gene in maize domestication
Pathways to Equity
Pioneers of interdisciplinary sustainability
Postdoc Akanksha Thawani named STAT Wunderkind
MCB postdoc Akanksha Thawani (Nogales & Collins Labs) was selected as a 2024 STAT Wunderkind. This award recognizes Thawani as an outstanding early-career scientist and is for her research on Unraveling the mysteries of ‘the next CRISPR’. Read more about the STAT Wunderkind award and Thawani.
Profile: A Bright Start
In Memoriam: Bruce Ames
It is with great sadness we report the passing of Bruce N. Ames, who served as professor of biochemistry from 1968 to 1989, and then professor of molecular and cell biology from 1989 to 2000, and thereafter as a senior scientist at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute from 2000 to 2018. Bruce was best known for the development of the Ames Test, a screen that made use of bacteria to test the mutagenic potential of natural and synthetic chemicals as a means to pinpoint possible carcinogens. He received many honors including the National Medal of Science, election to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal of the Genetics Society of America.
MCB alumnus David Baker wins Nobel Prize
Former MCB graduate student David Baker (PhD 1989) shared in this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for computational protein design". While at Berkeley, he conducted his doctoral dissertation research on protein transport and protein trafficking in yeast in the lab of Professor Randy Schekman. Read more about Baker's research and Nobel Prize.
Profile: The Fungal Detective
Study links hurricanes to higher death rates long after storms pass
Lucas and Zhang among NIH Director's New Innovator Awardees
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology Bronwyn Lucas and Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Molecular Therapeutics Ziyang Zhang are both among the 2024 NIH Director's New Innovator Awardees.
Evaluating Benefits of Electric Vehicle Subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act
Adobe Stock
A new study by a multi-university team of economists shows that electric vehicle tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) decreased climate pollution and benefited US vehicle manufacturers but have mixed benefits relative to taxpayer costs.
The study, published today as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that compared to pre-IRA policy, the IRA subsidies produced $1.87 in US benefits per dollar of government spending. These subsidies cost taxpayers $32,000 per additional electric vehicle (EV) sold, since 75% of funds went to consumers who would have bought an electric vehicle anyway. Compared to a scenario with no electric vehicle subsidies, however, the IRA policy generated only $1.02 in US benefits per dollar of government spending.
The IRA is considered by many to be the largest climate change investment in human history, with total costs forecast at up to $1 trillion. In addition to addressing climate change, the law sought to protect domestic manufacturing, secure supply chains, and achieve political sustainability across elections.
“Three compelling questions drove this research,” said Joseph Shapiro, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berkeley and co-author of the paper. “First, how have IRA EV credits affected vehicle markets? Next, should vehicle electrification policies reflect differences in climate damages across different EV models? And finally, how do green industrial policies like the IRA EV credits pit trade versus the environment and foreign countries versus the US?”
The research team from Duke, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the University of Chicago analyzed detailed sales data from dealerships, which let them conclude that most of the spending benefited electric vehicle buyers rather than auto manufacturers. “The IRA EV credits are not a home run,” said Hunt Allcott, a professor at Stanford University and co-author of the study. “While the IRA’s electric vehicle tax credits have slowed climate change and shifted production to US manufacturing firms, they also impose high costs on US taxpayers.”
The study also found that the IRA could have generated far larger US benefits if it provided larger tax credits to cleaner EVs, since the environmental costs of driving an electric vehicle vary substantially across EVs due to variations in weight. For example, switching from a lighter Toyota Prius gasoline vehicle to a heavier Tesla Cybertruck supports vehicle electrification but actually increases climate pollution.
For purchased vehicles, the IRA subsidies require a vehicle to be assembled in North America and have sufficient supply chain content from the US and allied countries.
“These subsidies have both helped and hurt US allies," said co-author Felix Tintelnot, an associate professor at Duke. “Many US benefits came from shifting profits from foreign to US vehicle manufacturers. This profit shifting hurts our allies, but the climate benefits to US allies somewhat offset those costs.”
The researchers obtained these conclusions from comparing vehicle prices, leases, and purchase decisions in the months before and after specific vehicle models gained and lost eligibility for the IRA subsidies. The team also developed a model of consumers’ decisions about which vehicles to buy and auto manufacturers’ decisions about which vehicles to sell.
“This ‘Buy American’ policy pits trade versus the environment,” said Shapiro. “The IRA subsidies have advanced vehicle electrification by partially closing US markets. This is driving ahead on global climate policy but making a U-turn on global trade cooperation.”
The study also analyzes the IRA’s “leasing loophole,” which lets any vehicle leases qualify for subsidies, bypassing the trade restrictions. The study found that this loophole has negative US benefits, since it mostly encourages substitution to foreign vehicles without substantially benefiting the climate.
The study was funded in part by the Becker Friedman Institute of the University of Chicago and by grant funding from the National Science Foundation.
READ MORE
- Electric car subsidies are a plus, but could be improved, study finds (NY Times)
- The Effects of “Buy American”: Electric Vehicles and the Inflation Reduction Act (NBER)
- Will the IRA’s “Buy American” Tilt Help US Electric Vehicles? (Energy Institute at Haas blog)
CONTACTS
- Hunt Allcott, allcott@stanford.edu, (617) 256-9282
- Joseph Shapiro, joseph.shapiro@berkeley.edu, (617) 821-4333
- Felix Tintelnot, felix.tintelnot@duke.edu, (814) 321-7730
Assistant Professor Okamoto to co-lead new Bioeconomy Center
Assistant Professor Daniel Okamoto will co-lead a new center to advance use of seaweed in the global economy. The International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC) at UC Berkeley, will address the need for foundational knowledge, technological approaches, supply chain designs, policy frameworks, community engagement, and educational materials for businesses and consumers to build sustainable macroalgal-based bioeconomies. Read the full article here
New center to advance use of seaweed in the global economy
Singapore internships
Assistant Professor Víctor Ortega Jiménez and Electrostatic Ecology
Assistant Professor Víctor Ortega Jiménez and his research on Electrostatic Ecology is featured in a fascinating article about how insects use static electricity for many purposes such catching prey and collecting pollen. Read the Full Article