The Department of Energy and the National Academy of Inventors have honored Professor Jay Keasling with their 2025 Innovator of the Year Award, which goes to one DOE employee who has translated research into tangible impacts that have benefited society at large. Keasling is a pioneer in synthetic biology who leads a groundbreaking research program focused on engineering microorganisms to produce advanced biofuels and chemicals.

The Department of Integrative Biology is pleased to welcome Dr. Cara Brook as an Assistant Professor starting July 2025. The Brook lab uses tools derived from field biology, molecular immunology, and epidemiological modeling to study how pathogens persist, transmit, and evolve in both wild animal and human hosts. Learn more about the Brook lab here. 

Congratulations to Dr. Peter Sudmant on receiving tenure and his promotion to Associate Professor of Integrative Biology! The Sudmant lab uses genomics, computational, statistical, and experimental methods to understand aging and genome structure in the context of evolution, adaptation, and cellular diversity. Learn more about the Submant lab here. 

A team led by BioE alumnus Yasuo Yoshikuni genetically modified yeast to create hydroxyapatite, a strong and lightweight material, from the elements present in urine. With lower production costs the material may now be practical for use in wastewater treatment, fertilizer manufacturing, building materials and plastic replacement.

Aluna, a company spun out of an undergraduate capstone project by alumna Charvi Shetty, has been acquired by Huma. Aluna developed an easy and fun remote monitoring system for respiratory diseases, which will now be able to reach patients in Huma's more than 150 U.S. health systems, serving over 500,000 people.

Teaching Assistant Professor Michal Shuldman was selected as one of the instructors for the 2025-2027 Presidential Chair Fellows (PCF) cohort. Awarded by the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL), PCF faculty design and implement a research study on undergraduate student-centered teaching and learning. Read more here. 

IB Assistant Professor Tierra Smiley-Evans, Chief Veterinary and Scientific Officer for Gorilla Doctors, recently was part of a team that reintroduced four female critically endangered Grauer's gorillas from their sanctuary back into the wild in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read the full story here.

Professor Phil Messersmith and colleagues have launched HypO2Regen Therapeutics, a startup developing novel, disease-modifying therapeutics for chronic intractable inflammatory diseases, including the first cell-free stem cell treatment that induces true regeneration of damaged tissue. Their first effort takes aim at periodontitis, which affects over 300 million people worldwide.

PhD alumnus Stanley Qi, now a professor at Stanford University, is interviewed about his work developing advanced gene-editing tools to treat life-threatening diseases and slow the onset of neurological aging.

BioE-founded startup Equipad is on a mission to provide free, eco-friendly, accessible menstrual care in innovative roll format in restrooms everywhere. Recent BioE graduates Sanjana Gurram and Bryan Wong, with Master of Development Practice alumna Pooja Patel, have developed the materials and dispenser voted best alumni project at the Collider Cup.

BioE junior Emma Berman has been awarded the Strauss Scholarship, an honor which supports a current Berkeley student pursue a self-initiated public service project. Emma is leading a student-driven community initiative to destigmatize the current social narrative surrounding hearing loss to create a new image for wearable hearing technology. Congratulations!

Congratulations to BioE PhD alumna Monica Kapil, the first woman ever named Alumna of the Year by the SJSU Mechanical Engineering Department!

IB Assistant Professor Victor Ortega Jiménez and a team of researchers have documented how flamingos use their feet, heads and beaks to create a storm of swirling tornados in the water to efficiently trap and then eat their prey. Read more in the Berkeley News article here. 
 

Professor Liana Lareau is recognized for her revolutionary approach to treat retinitis pigmentosa and other dominant genetic diseases by combining CRISPR prime editing with machine learning.

Bioengineering PhD student Lordean Gustinvil will receive a 2024-25 Outstanding GSI Award from the UC Berkeley campus. Awards are given to the best GSIs of the year, nominated by the course instructor.

Bioengineering doctoral student Maria Astolfi and her colleagues argue for a new type of partnership with indigenous peoples to create a more ethical bioeconomy.

Narimane Chatar, a current NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in Jack Tseng’s lab, was awarded the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship. Read more...

Computational modeling from Mofrad Lab gives us a peek inside these important microbial communities.

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Teaching Professor Emeritus Thomas J. Carlson, who passed away on 9 April 2025. Tom was a highly respected scientist and teacher who was beloved for his creative intellect, his kindness, and his humanity. Professionally, Tom’s career centered on two themes – botany and medicine. He held a Masters’ Degree in botany from the University of Michigan and was a Curator Emeritus in Berkeley’s University and Jepson Herbaria.

Congratulations to our new NSF Graduate Research Fellows! Among the winners are current PhD students Ashley Qin; incoming PhD students Erin Ahern, Daniel Antov, Marvin Collins, Lauren Iskander, Zachary Lee, Steven Robles Blasini; graduating undergraduates Monica Mendoza and Safaa Mouline; and undergraduate alumni Jacob Bryan, Emily Huynh, and Elaine Tong. Well done!