As the year draws to a close, we want to take a moment to express our deep gratitude for our MCB community of students, postdocs, staff, faculty, alumni and friends. 2025 has been a year marked by exciting discoveries, shared successes, and the remarkable resilience and dedication of our community. We hope you enjoy our year-end video highlighting some of our 2025 memories together. 

 

 

 

MCB microbiologists from the Portnoy lab team up with BASIS to run a microbiology outreach workshop at the Ellerhorst Elementary School. 

 

Learn about research from the lab of Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development Dipti Nayak.

Excerpt from UC Berkeley News: "A study finds that one microbe, a member of the Archaea, tolerates a little flexibility in interpreting the genetic code, contradicting a 60-year-old doctrine." Read the full Berkeley News article here. 

Learn about research from the lab of Dean of Biological Sciences, Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development Richard Harland. 

Learn about MCB's exciting research, new faculty, molecular medicine lab, department-wide retreat, alumni and more! 

Read the Fall 2025 MCB Transcript.

Learn about new research from the lab of Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development Nicole King.

Michael Chamberlin

Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology Evan Miller was selected as one of 16 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Supplemental Grant recipients for 2025. This award, from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, provides funds to support Miller's research project "A Generalizable Method to Improve the Brightness of Long-Wavelength Fluorophores". Read more about the award and 2025 recipients here. 

Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology Daniel Fletcher has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Fletcher was recognized "For the development of mobile phone-based microscopy to diagnose infectious diseases in developing countries, and for contributions to the mechanistic understanding of biological self-assembly and mechanotransduction." Read more in the National Academy of Medicine press release. 

Carina Galicia, Director of Administration and Operations for MCB and Biosciences Divisional Services, has received the College of Letters & Science Staff Achievement Award for 2024-2025. This award recognizes staff who have demonstarted an outstanding commitment to Berkeley's shared mission of  teaching, research and public service. Galicia and other award recipients will be honored at an awards ceremony on November 4, 2025. 
 

Welcome to MCB's newest faculty member, Thomas Mann, who will join us as an assistant professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine (IMM) on January 1, 2026. The Mann Lab will study how post-translational signaling is intertwined with differentiation in CD8 T cells. Using genetics, proteomics, and mouse models of cancer and viral infection, the lab will dissect signaling pathways to identify new targets for immunotherapy.
 

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

 

Erin Doherty (Doudna Lab) discovered a new role for cyclic nucleotides in immune signaling, revealing how cells use a novel toxin–antitoxin system to protect against viral anti-defense.
 

Professor of Molecular Therapeutics Jennifer Doudna was recently named the recipient of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes leading scientists and researchers in the field for their professional accomplishments and contributions to research, education and leadership. Read more about the 2026 ASM award recipients here.