Abstract Lactobacillus Bulgaricus Bacteria

Revealing the Mysteries Within Microbial Genomes

Scientists will be able to determine the function of genes more quickly than ever with a new high-throughput approach A new technique developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will make it much easier for researchers to discover the traits or activities encoded by genes of unknown function in microbes, a key step toward…

A cluster of nematodes, C. elegans.

Do smells prime our gut to fight off infection?

Nematodes react to the odors of pathogens by prepping their guts to withstand an infection. Do humans react similarly? Many organisms react to the smell of deadly pathogens by reflexively avoiding them. But a recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that the nematode C. elegans also reacts to the odor of pathogenic bacteria by…

Grid of headshots and of people working in labs.

Berkeley’s ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship combats climate change

Climate change has become a pervasive influence in nearly every facet of our lives. From the air we breathe to the food we eat and the vehicles we drive, the way we navigate the world impacts our environment, often in negative ways. UC Berkeley is a powerhouse for energy and climate research where faculty, postdocs…

illustration showing troprophan tagging.

Targeting tryptophan: New technique opens door to novel drug synthesis

University of California, Berkeley, chemists have devised a novel method to selectively tag tryptophan residues within proteins, potentially leading to the development of new types of drugs and engineered proteins, including those that mediate protein-protein interactions. Led by Christopher J. Chang and F. Dean Toste, the Berkeley team drew inspiration from nature’s synthesis of indole alkaloids, devising an…

Schematic illustration of the COF structure, polymers, and nanofibrils

Molecular weaving makes polymer composites stronger without compromising function

At its most basic, chemistry is a lot like working with building blocks – but the materials are atoms and molecules. COFs – or covalent organic frameworks, a new class of porous crystals – are a great example of a material that behaves like a molecular Lego set, where individual building blocks are connected through…

An illustration of a brain cell in a person with Alzheimer's disease, showing the accumulation and clumping of tau proteins (blue squiggles) in the cytoplasm of brain cells.

Are stressed-out brain cells the root cause of neurodegenerative disease?

UC Berkeley research suggests that constant stress triggered by clumping proteins is killing brain cells. Protein clumps, also known as aggregates, are thought to lead to cell death and dementia. New research suggests that such clumps may not cause brain cell death directly, but rather throw the cell’s response to stress off balance so that…

Three researchers stand in a lab talking to each other.

SCET Alum and Berkeley Professor Launch Generation Lab for Personalized Anti-Aging

SCET Alum Alina Su and University of California, Berkeley Bioengineering Professor Irina Conboy are co-founding Generation Lab with the Mission to Extend the Human Healthspan. SCET Alum and former Collider Cup winner, Alina Su, and University of California, Berkeley Bioengineering Professor Irina Conboy are co-founding Generation Lab with the Mission to Extend the Human Healthspan – Waitlist for Its Clinically…

A person holding onto their stomach with one hand.

Researchers make advances toward more effective IBD therapies

New regenerative medicine technique may repair and protect the colon For millions of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), clinical remission can seem out of reach. Current therapeutics like corticosteroids and biologics help manage symptoms and control chronic inflammation but do little to repair damage to the intestinal lining. Now, a new regenerative medicine technique is showing…