By Date

A rainy season wake-up call for bacteria

College of Natural Resources - Fri, 09/22/2023 - 09:43
An abstract representation of microbes in soil as seen from under a microscope, generated by the DALL-E text-to-image model. September 22, 2023

A new study led by Rausser College researchers in PMB and ESPM details the link between soil viruses and carbon emissions.

Tseng Receives Tenure

Department of Integrative Biology - Thu, 09/21/2023 - 10:55

Professor Jack Tseng

Congratulations to Dr. Jack Tseng on receiving tenure and his promotion to Associate Professor of Integrative Biology! The Tseng lab is focused on understanding the macroevolutionary-scale patterns of structure-function relationships in mammals and other vertebrate groups. To learn more, visit the Tseng Lab Website.

 

Categories: Science News

Iain Clark selected as Innovation Investigator by Arc Institute

Department of Bioengineering - Thu, 09/21/2023 - 10:46

drawing of Prof Clark

Professor Iain Clark was named an Innovation Investigator by the Arc Institute, a scientific research organization pioneering new models for scientific discovery and translation. As a member of the inaugural Innovation Investigators program, Clark will receive $1 million over five years to pursue “curiosity-driven, ambitious research.”
Categories: Science News

Revisiting Berkeley’s 1923 fire 100 years later

College of Natural Resources - Thu, 09/21/2023 - 09:48
Destruction caused by the Berkeley fire of September 17, 1923. September 21, 2023

ESPM professor Scott Stephens spoke to Berkeleyside about the city’s continued fire risk in a series commemorating the centennial of its 1923 fire.

2023 MCB Outstanding Postdoc Awards

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology - Wed, 09/20/2023 - 10:54

2023 Outstanding Postdoc AwardsWe are excited to announce the recipients of our annual MCB Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellows Awards! Each year, the department honors postdocs for excellence in research, leadership, and service. 

 

Rachel Coombs (Robey Lab) investigates how the extracellular microenvironment in the spleen directs T cell differentiation using an experimental model of chronic T. gondii infection in mice. 

Rory Craig (Merchant Lab) works on genome evolution and transposable elements in eukaryotic algae.

Saxton and Schepartz named ARC Institute Innovation Investigators

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology - Wed, 09/20/2023 - 09:03

Saxton and Schepartz ARC InstituteRobert Saxton, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, and Alanna Schepartz, Professor of Molecular Therapeutics, were recently named Innovation Investigators by the ARC Institute. This award provides funding to researchers to pursue visionary ideas in curiosity-driven ambitious science research. Read more...

Innovations on the Menu

College of Natural Resources - Tue, 09/19/2023 - 13:32
A man stands at a lectern before the audience. A graphic displaying the words "Agriculture" and "Climate Change" is displayed on a screen behind him. September 19, 2023

Conference engages industry leaders, policymakers, academics, investors, and entrepreneurs in discussions of revolutions in agricultural and food science.

A mini-camp with major impact

College of Natural Resources - Mon, 09/18/2023 - 12:53
Image of students at forestry mini camp September 18, 2023

California community college students are introduced to UC Berkeley’s forestry program through a condensed weeklong program.

Conboy Lab changes the measurement of biological age

Department of Bioengineering - Fri, 09/15/2023 - 12:05

cover of Aging journal 9/15/23

Research from Professor Irina Conboy's lab is on the cover of the journal "Aging" this week, highlighting their exciting new research in the measurement of biological age. Their work shows that commonly-used Elastic Net DNA methylation clocks have low accuracy, and present an alternative using noise-detecting cytosines, measuring the pressure of aging and disease on an organism. BioE PhD student Xiaoyue Mei and undergraduate alumnus Joshua Blanchard are first authors.
Categories: Science News

Student Spotlight: Areidy Beltran-Peña

College of Natural Resources - Thu, 09/14/2023 - 11:40
Areidy at Hearst Mining Circles September 14, 2023

The recent graduate and climate change scientist spoke to us about her time at UC Berkeley and her future as a Stanford University postdoc.

Brohawn promoted to associate professor

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology - Wed, 09/13/2023 - 14:11

BrohawnCongratulations to Stephen Brohawn on receiving tenure and his promotion to MCB Associate Professor of Neurobiology!

The Brohawn laboratory researches the molecular basis of sensory transduction and cellular electrical signaling. Read more...

 

Whendee Silver to deliver 2023 Reeburgh Lecture at AGU Fall Meeting

College of Natural Resources - Tue, 09/12/2023 - 11:14
Head shot of Whendee Silver September 13, 2023

The ESPM professor was chosen in recognition of her pioneering contributions to global biogeochemistry.

We're Hiring | Assistant Professor of GGED

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology - Mon, 09/11/2023 - 13:16

Asst Prof GGEDInterested in becoming a UC Berkeley faculty member? We are now accepting applications for an Assistant Professor for the MCB Division of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution & Development (GGED).  

Learn more and apply by November 1, 2023. 

Addressing the health hazards of climate change

College of Natural Resources - Fri, 09/08/2023 - 17:29
A photo of an oil refinery in Richmond. Photo by Scott Hess/Creative Commons. September 11, 2023

From wildfire smoke to sea level rise, CEEJ researchers are working to address identify and mitigate the health hazards of climate change.

How wildfires have remade the Illilouette Creek Basin

College of Natural Resources - Thu, 09/07/2023 - 10:38
Forest Patch now a wetland September 07, 2023

A decades-long experiment in Yosemite involving wildfires is showing researchers what a healthy forest should look like.

Job Opening: Emerging Zoonoses Assistant Professor

Department of Integrative Biology - Thu, 08/31/2023 - 17:30

We seek a colleague who develops and applies fundamental ecological and evolutionary approaches to meet the challenge of zoonotic diseases in human populations. Read the full job description here.

 

Categories: Science News

Messersmith receives 2023 Bakar Fellows Spark Award

Department of Bioengineering - Thu, 08/31/2023 - 11:42

photo of Messersmith

Congratulations to Professor Phillip Messersmith, a recipient of the 2023 Bakar Fellows Spark Award for his work on gel protection during tumor ablation. The award is designed to accelerate faculty-led research and produce tangible, positive societal impact through commercialization.
Categories: Science News

Professors Ben Williams and Anders Näär named 2023 Spark Award recipients

College of Natural Resources - Wed, 08/30/2023 - 12:25
Thumbnail of Williams and Näär August 30, 2023

The award provides UC Berkeley faculty members with funding, resources, and mentorship for entrepreneurial success.

Bat study reveals how the brain is wired for collective behavior

Department of Bioengineering - Wed, 08/30/2023 - 11:11

image of Egyptian fruit bats congregating

New research from Professor Michael Yartsev shows that the same neurons that help bats navigate through space may also help them navigate collective social environments. In a study published today in the journal Nature, the researchers found that the portion of the brain that acts as a GPS is also tuned to the social dynamic in the environment.
Categories: Science News

Nuñez named Bakar Spark Award recipient

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology - Mon, 08/28/2023 - 12:56

James NunezCongratulations to James Nuñez, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, on receiving a 2023 Spark Award from the Bakar Fellows Program. This award will support Nuñez's research project "CRISPR epigenetic editing for immune cell engineering" from concept into commercial application with funding, resources, and mentorship. Read more...