News & Events

9/30/2008 - Robert Tjian to head Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Robert Tjian has been elected president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, one of the world's largest private funders of biomedical research. More >

9/23/2008 - Two scientists receive grants for ‘unconventional’ research
David Sretavan, professor of ophthalmology and physiology, and John Sedat, professor of biochemistry and biophysics, are among researchers selected to receive grants as part of the National Institutes of Health’s new EUREKA program. More >

9/22/2008 - Bioengineer receives NIH New Innovator Award
Sanjay Kumar is one of 31 recipients of the New Innovator Award, announced Sept. 22 by the National Institutes for Health. The $1.5 million award recognizes investigators in the early stages of their careers who have not previously held regular research grants from the NIH. More >

9/17/2008 - QB3 grant provides funds for high-throughput DNA sequencer at UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz scientists will be able to sequence DNA using next-generation high-throughput instrumentation, thanks to new funding from QB3. More >

9/15/2008 - What we don't know about biofuels
How would the large-scale cultivation of biofuels affect food supply and food prices? What is their impact on soils, waterways, the air, and nearby food crops? Chris Sommerville, director of the new Energy Biosciences Institute, discusses the web of scientific, technical, and social questions that EBI researchers have begun to probe in an attempt to "truly understand" the potential benefits and pitfalls of large-scale biofuel production. More >

9/9/2008 - DeRisi wins Heinz Award for virus detection and malaria research
In recognition for his breakthrough creation of a viral detection platform for malaria and other infectious diseases, Joseph DeRisi has been selected as one of five distinguished Americans to receive the 2008 Heinz Award. More >

8/26/2008 - Genome sequence deepens mystery of inconspicuous sea creature
The newly sequenced genome of an easily overlooked marine animal, a pancake of cells called a placozoan, is helping biologists unravel the origins of animals. More >

8/21/2008 - Building an energy 'cathedral'
After years when he "goofed off," postdoc Clem Fortman is now on the cutting edge of scientific discovery in the lab of synthetic-biology guru Jay Keasling. This summer he helped open the gates of higher education to promising students who might otherwise never get a foot in the door. More >

August 2008 - QB3 researchers recognized as top innovators under 35
Christopher Chang, who wants to revolutionize cellular imaging by changing the way biologists tag the molecules they want to see, and Michelle Chang, whose work may lead to basic tools for engineering organisms to perform reactions that are too difficult or expensive with traditional chemistry, have been recognized by Technology Review magazine as among the world's top innovators under age 35. More >

8/8/2008 - A beautiful dance: a conversation with signal maestro Dan Minor
The dance of proteins is the major work of Dan Minor. Minor doesn’t actually choreograph the dance, of course, although he likes to inject a few changes in the routine now and then just to see what happens. No, what Minor does best is study the movements, particularly those of the ion channel proteins. More >

7/29/2008 - Virus behind mysterious parrot disease identified
Joseph DeRisi and his research colleagues have identified a virus behind the mysterious infectious disease that has been killing parrots and exotic birds for more than 30 years. More >

7/9/2008 - Researchers find new mode of gene regulation in mammals
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have discovered a type of gene regulation never before observed in mammals – a "ribozyme" that controls the activity of an important family of genes in several different species. More >

6/30/2008 - Microarray technique promises new diagnostics
Researchers have invented a technique in which DNA or RNA microarrays, devices that measure gene expression, can be read and evaluated without elaborate chemical labeling or sophisticated instrumentation. Based on electrostatic repulsion, the technique is quick and inexpensive. More >

6/26/2008 - Fletcher selected as 2008 White House Fellow
Daniel Fletcher has been selected as a 2008 White House Fellow. The fellowship offers leadership development and public service at the federal level, with members taking part in roundtable discussions and study trips to examine U.S. policy in action. Fletcher’s research focuses on the development of new biomedical technologies and the study of cellular biophysics. More >

6/20/2008 - Richard Karp, renowned computer theorist, wins 2008 Kyoto Prize
Richard Karp, a UC Berkeley professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, has been named a laureate of the 2008 Kyoto Prize, Japan's equivalent of the Nobel Prize, in recognition of his lifetime achievements in the field of computer theory. More >

6/18/2008 - Lancelet genome shows how genes quadrupled during vertebrate evolution
The ancestor of all chordates, a group that includes humans and other vertebrates, probably looked like a sand-dwelling invertebrate called the lancelet or amphioxus. Its newly sequenced genome confirms that, and shows how vertebrates evolved over the past 550 million years – through a four-fold duplication of the genes of our primitive ancestors. More >

6/10/2008 - Old muscle gets new pep in UC Berkeley stem cell study
When UC Berkeley bioengineers tweaked how adult stem cells reacted to biochemical signals regulating cell division, they gave muscle in old mice a shot of youthful vigor. The research sets the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions, including muscle atrophy and Alzheimer's disease. More >

6/10/2008 - Pfizer and UCSF form alliance to advance a broad range of research
In a novel experiment to advance new drug discovery and development, as well as stimulate basic research, Pfizer, Inc. and UCSF have launched a collaboration that spans many disciplines, several UC campuses, and multiple Pfizer research units. More >

6/2/2008 - Personal genomes may lead to personalized vitamin supplements
As the cost of DNA sequencing drops, it may become common for people to have their complete genomes sequenced. Personal genomes will not only tell people about their genetic susceptibility to cancer and heart disease, but also will tell them which vitamins can improve their health. More >

May 2008 - Distant relatives, common genes
Dan Rokhsar's research is not only providing new insights into our genetic heritage but also clearing a path toward a cleaner, greener future. More >

5/27/2008 - HHMI investigators announced
Six QB3 faculty affiliates have received one of the most sought-after honors in biomedical research: appointment as Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators with guaranteed research support for five, 10 or more years into the future. This brings the total number of QB3 faculty affiliates who hold the prestigious appointments to 22. More >

5/13/2008 - Lemons to lemonade: unique database recovers new insights from unsuccessful HIV vaccine trial
The ending of a clinical trial for an unsuccessful AIDS vaccine in 2003 marked the beginning of a new opportunity for researching how the virus evolves to infect new victims. More >

5/9/2008 - Big brains and little minds
In a conversation about the future of science, brain connections, and culture, UC San Francisco neuroscientist Michael Stryker shares his views on the role of science in society and the power of science stories to explain existence and ignite discovery. More >

Spring 2008 - A magnet with a view
From physicists to chemists to bioengineers, UC Berkeley researchers are working to revolutionize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to expand the technique's applications and reduce its price tag. More >

5/8/2008 - Top Berkeley senior is a disease detective
UC Berkeley senior wins the University Medal, honoring her scientific curiosity, academic success, and empathy for the downtrodden. Next stop: medical school at UCSF. More >

5/8/2008 - New campus-wide alliance for global health
From projects to prevent mothers from dying during childbirth to low-cost treatments and diagnostics for drug-resistant tuberculosis, UC Berkeley is bringing together global health research from across the campus in an ambitious interdisciplinary initiative to be officially launched on Wednesday, May 14. More >

5/7/2008 - CIRM awards $20 million for stem cell research facilities
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has awarded $20.18 million to UC Berkeley to build centralized stem cell laboratories in a new research building, the Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, now under construction. More >

5/6/2008 - Research shows nature and nurture combine to form the right visual connections
Research on the genetic and molecular processes involved in development of the visual system reveals the line between nature and nurture in visual mapping and shows that vision occurs on an x-y axis. More >

5/5/2008 - Energy Biosciences Institute funds first 49 projects
The BP-funded Energy Biosciences Institute has awarded its first 49 research grants, totaling $20 million and including a significant number looking at the environmental, economic, and societal impacts of meeting a growing portion of the world's energy needs through biofuels. More >

5/2/2008 - Glowing sugars light up zebrafish
Using artificial sugar and some clever chemistry, UC Berkeley researchers have made glow-in-the-dark zebrafish whose internal light comes from the sugar coating on their cells. The technique is a new tool for researchers, and will lead to a better understanding of the role of cell-surface sugars in health and disease. More >

4/29/2008 - QB3 affiliates honored
Five QB3 faculty affiliates are among those singled out for highest honors by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, which recently announced 2008 awardees. More >

4/28/2008 - William Scott’s hammerhead ribozyme makes the cover of Chemistry & Biology
The cover of the April 2008 issue of Chemistry & Biology features an image created by William Scott. The image depicts the three-dimensional chemical structure of an RNA enzyme – a full-length hammerhead ribozyme. More >

April 2008 - Small microscope on a phone
A group of bioengineers led by Daniel Fletcher is developing an instrument to allow patients with chronic blood conditions to easily and inexpensively monitor their blood from home. The device fuses two straightforward technologies – a camera-equipped cell phone and a basic optical microscope – into one powerful tool: a portable microscope that can send annotated images of blood cells to labs or medical centers for analysis. More >

4/25/2008 - On the energy trail: Berkeley researchers find new details following the path of solar energy during photosynthesis
Graham Fleming and his research group have used a laser technique they developed to track the flow of excitation energy through both time and space. Now, for the first time, they’ve been able to connect that flow to energy-transferring functions during photosynthesis by providing direct experimental links between atomic and electronic structures in pigment-protein complexes. More >

4/21/2008 - Lights, camera, enzymes!: A conversation with chemist and protein expert Brian Shoichet
Genes had been hogging the headlines for years until proteins pushed them aside. Now you can read about big proteins everywhere. Enzymes sound like a name nobody liked. That not’s true of pharmaceutical chemist Brian Shoichet who last year pushed enzymes into the spotlight. His big discovery? Figuring out a way to determine what an enzyme does by how it is shaped. More >

4/15/2008 - Bioelectronics engineer Wentai Liu designs prostheses to change lives
Wentai Liu is an electronics wizard whose work is enabling the development of devices once found only in the realm of science fiction – miniaturized electronic implants to restore vision, movement, and other biological functions lost to disease or injury. More >

4/7/2008 - David Haussler honored by International Society for Computational Biology
The International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) has awarded its Senior Scientist Accomplishment Award to David Haussler, professor of biomolecular engineering in the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz. More >

4/3/2008 - Optical tweezers pick up the ribosome beat
Researchers led by Ignacio Tinoco, Carlos Bustamante, and Harry Noller have for the first time glimpsed the physical steps of the ribosome machine as it translates messenger RNA into a protein. Their findings are featured on the cover of the April 3 edition of Nature. More >

3/21/2008 - Brain man: A conversation with a cognitive neuroscientist
Adam Gazzaley could one day be the scientist behind the new drug, the new device, or the new brain exercise that makes us remember what we have lost. That alone would make him hard to forget. More >

3/14/2008 - Molecular toolkits become a reality
As reported in Science, Wendell Lim and UCSF colleagues have shown how a toolkit of modular molecular components and circuit boards can be used to engineer a wide variety of biochemical circuits in living cells, much as students and hobbyists in the 1950s used kits to assemble modular electronic parts into working radios and computers. More >

3/12/2008 - UC Berkeley and Stanford University launch joint stem cell research
UC Berkeley and the Stanford School of Medicine will join forces in a new stem cell initiative that will catalyze research and serve as a magnet for scholars from around the world. The Siebel Stem Cell Institute, established by the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, is a joint initiative between the Berkeley Stem Cell Center and the Stanford Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Institute. More >

3/2/2008 - Wells to chair UCSF Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
James Wells, an internationally recognized biochemist and leader in the development of new technologies for engineering proteins and for identifying small molecules to aid in drug discovery, has been named chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the UCSF School of Pharmacy. More >

February 2008 - Statistical challenges in genomics
For biologists, DNA microarrays are a boon and curse alike. UC Berkeley's Sandrine Dudoit is coming to their assistance with statistical and computational methods needed to analyze and understand the mind-bogglingly large and intricate datasets these and other high-throughput biotechnologies generate. More >

February 2008 - Fellowship program to advance knowledge of human genes
Adding postdoctoral positions to a UC Berkeley research center may seem a routine step, but for the Center for Computational Biology, the anticipated impact will be far more momentous. The Center's Innovation Fellows will form a much-needed cadre of experts who will interpret vast data on the human genome and find new biological insights. More >

2/14/2008 - Genome of marine organism tells of animals' one-celled ancestors
A ubiquitous but little-known marine organism, the choanoflagellate, is the last one-celled ancestor of humans and offers clues to how cells learned to assemble into multicelled organisms. The genome of the choanoflagellate Monisiga has now been sequenced and offers clues to the origin of the glue holding many-celled animals together. More >

February 2008 - Students grab gold with bacteria-to-blood project
A team of QB3-UC Berkeley undergraduates has demonstrated how genetically modified E. coli bacteria might be converted into a cheap – and safe – blood substitute. The engineered product, called “Bactoblood,” addresses a global shortage of human blood for transfusions, particularly in developing countries and emergency situations, the young developers say. More >

1/28/2008 - Berkeley scientists bring MRI/NMR to microreactors
In a significant step towards improving the design of future catalysts and catalytic reactors, especially for microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip” devices, researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley have successfully applied magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the study of gas-phase reactions on the microscale. More >

January 2008 - The copy machine of the cell
When UC Berkeley professor of biochemistry and molecular biology Mike Botchan first began studying chromosome copying, basic questions about the process remained unknown. Over the past three decades, Botchan has been instrumental in piecing together the story of what he calls "the elaborate dance of DNA replication." More >

1/11/2008 - Poring over proteins: A conversation with biopharmaceutical scientist Andrej Sali
Andrej Sali and his colleagues have created software that takes information gathered from different sources, such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy, to calculate the structure of protein complexes. More >

1/9/2008 - Feeling the heat: Researchers make thermoelectric breakthrough in silicon nanowires
Energy now lost as heat during the production of electricity could be harnessed through the use of silicon nanowires synthesized via a technique developed by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley. More >

1/7/2008 - UCSF tropical disease researcher in Scientific American’s top 50
Conor Caffrey, a parasitologist and biochemist working in James McKerrow's lab, has been recognized by Scientific American as one of the top achievers in business, policy and research in 2007. Caffrey was cited for his contribution to developing an experimental therapy to treat schistosomiasis, a flatworm disease that afflicts more than 200 million people worldwide. More >