BioE PhD student Maya Overton won the CHEMINAS Young Researcher Poster Award at this year’s MicroTAS (Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences – Micro-Total Analysis Systems ) 2026 conference in Granada, Spain. Her winning poster from Amy Herr’s lab described “Single-cell Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Paired With Imaging-Based Morphology.” 

Evan Miller, Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, was named a Spring 2026 Mathers Foundation Grantee. In collaboration with Hillel Adesnik and Stephen Brohawn, they are developing a high-throughput screening method using long-wavelength voltage-sensitive fluorophores to rapidly discover engineered opsin variants with enhanced properties.

Neuroscientists from the lab of Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology Andrea Gomez, alongside other collaborators from Berkeley, UCSF and Stanford ran parallel trials of psilocybin to see what behavioral effects were reproducible in mice. The findings challenge reported results and underscore the importance of reproducibility in psychedelic research and its potential therapeutic applications.
 

Researchers in the labs of Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology Jamie Cate & Professor of Molecular Therapeutics Alanna Schepartz engineered bacterial ribosomes to build non-canonical molecules—unlocking safer, cheaper routes to bioplastics and therapeutics.
 

Recent research by Teresa Head-Gordon and collaborators has shown that when bulk polymers become microplastics they are in fact not inert, but rather, the tiny pieces of plastic chemically modify the water around them to generate highly reactive species that may cause damage to living systems.

UC Berkeley evolutionary biologist Moisés Expósito-Alonso has been awarded a prestigious Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering, receiving nearly $1 million in unrestricted funding over 5 years. Read the full story here.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $18.4 million to a collaborative team, including UC Berkeley Integrative Biology professor Rauri Bowie as the co-principal investigator, to create an extensive genetic database of over 250 Antarctic species and 600 ecosystem samples. Read the full story here.

Interview with Tycho Mevissen, MCB's new Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, on his background, his lab's research, and future goals. 
 

Researchers in Michael Yartsev's lab, led by postdocs Adam Lowet and Krishna Kasuba, built a digital twin of the bat hippocampus - an AI model trained on large-scale neural activity during natural flight. The model generated new, testable hypotheses about hippocampal organization that were confirmed by real-world data.

ARPA-H's BIOGAMI program aims to transform our understanding of protein dysfunction in the earliest stages of neurodegenerative disease by developing new approaches to detect and characterize protein misfolding. BioE PhD alumnus Nicolas Fawzi leads the Brown University team on this multicampus, led at Berkeley by the Innovative Genomics Institute.

Examining large-scale neural activity from the motor cortex of freely flying Egyptian fruit bats helps Michael Yartsev's lab understand how the brain supports very complex behaviors, like buttoning a shirt or playing piano.

We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2026 MCB Outstanding Postdoc Awards! Each year, the department honors postdocs for excellence in research, leadership, and service. 

 

Thomas Li (Bateup Lab) studies the neurodevelopmental disorder Tuberous Sclerosis Complex using stem cell derived models of brain development.
 

Landen Gozashti is a 2026-27 Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow from Peter Sudmant's lab who studies Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) as well as the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms that shape evolution. Read the full story here.

Lipid nanoparticles are great delivery vehicles for mRNA treatments, but their positive charge triggers high levels of inflammation. Now researchers led by Professor Niren Murthy have engineered a new lipid nanoparticle that can switch its charge from positive to negative and may avoid triggering inflammation while still able to deliver mRNA and other nucleic acids.

Research from the labs of Professors Gloria Brar and Elçin Ünal offers new insight into the mechanisms underlying gametogenic rejuvenation.
 

The International Balzan Foundation recognized Rasmus Nielsen, a professor of statistics and integrative biology at UC Berkeley, with its 2026 Balzan Prize for Molecular Evolution.

Helen Bateup, Associate Professor of Molecular Therapeutics, and her lab are utilizing human brain organoid models to identify the underlying source of seizures in a common pediatric early-onset epilepsy, paving the way for promising treatment strategies.
 

Fyodor Urnov, Professor of Molecular Therapeutics, was honored with the 2026 UC Regents Innovation Gamechanger Award. The Gamechanger Award, recognizing the most impactful product brought to market, went to Urnov for pioneering custom gene therapies for children with rare diseases. By creating a new model that cuts personalized CRISPR development costs by 90%, Urnov has drastically expanded global access to these life-saving treatments. Read more about the 2026 UC Regents Innovation Awards and recipients here.  

Researchers in the lab of Jennifer Doudna at the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) have identified an evolutionary precursor to the CRISPR system, solving a complex genetic puzzle through a blend of artificial intelligence and human analysis. 
 

It is with great sadness that we recognize the passing of Dr. David Rempel, MD, MPH, CPE. A versatile expert in occupational health and long-time member of the Bioengineering Graduate Program, he was a Professor Emeritus of Medicine at UCSF and Bioengineering Berkeley. He will be missed.