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.

Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Filipa Rijo-Ferreira, was named a 2025 Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. The five-year grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) supports "outstanding early career faculty who have the potential to become leaders in their research fields and to create lab environments in which everyone can thrive". Read more about the 2025 Freeman Hrabowski Scholars here.  

June 27, 2025

ESPM professors Jillian Banfield and Matteo Garbelotto are among the UC Berkeley researchers who have utilized facilities at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Joint Genome Institute to conduct cutting-edge genomic research.

June 26, 2025

ERG's Sarah Sarfaty Epstein and ESPM's Cynthia Wilson were recognized by the Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation as graduate student leaders who are driving positive environmental and social change.

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 MCB postdocs Aurora Alvarez-Buylla (Schepartz Lab), Grace Hibshman (Nogales Lab) and Heegwang Roh (Rapé Lab) who have been selected as 2025 Jane Coffin Childs Fellows!

June 25, 2025

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources recently profiled Katie Low, BS '20 Ecosystem Management and Forestry; Master of Forestry '22, who helps accelerate the implementation of fire adaptation and resilience projects as UCANR's Fire Network statewide coordinator.

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. 

June 24, 2025

Rausser College PhD candidates Yihong Zhu, Marco Dueñas, Sheherazade, and Simon Greenhill were recognized by the Philomathia Center for their exceptional promise and academic distinction in studying issues related to the environment.

Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology, Yvette Fisher, was selected as one of ten neuroscientists to receive the 2025 McKnight Scholar Award. Granted by the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience (MEFN), recipients are early-career scientists who have demonstrated a commitment to neuroscience. Read more about the 2025 McNight Scholars here. 
 

Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology, Yvette Fisher, was named a 2025 Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. The five-year grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) supports "outstanding early career faculty who have the potential to become leaders in their research fields and to create lab environments in which everyone can thrive". Read more about the 2025 Freeman Hrabowski Scholars here.  

June 20, 2025

The UC Office of Scholarly Communication recently featured the Park Stewardship Forum, an open access publication for conservation professionals co-published by the Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity and the George Wright Society.

June 19, 2025

Highlights from the Stone Center’s Recent Urban Biodiversity Roundtable at UC Berkeley.

June 18, 2025

A first-of-its-kind study co-authored by Assistant Professor Tamma Carleton shows that the global food system is more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought.

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.

Congratulations to Gloria Brar on her promotion to MCB Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology!

The Brar Lab aims to unravel the unconventional molecular circuitry that allows precursor cells to be remodeled into gametes. Read more about the Brar lab and their research.  

Congratulations to Dirk Hockemeyer on his promotion to MCB Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology!

The Hockemeyer Lab focuses on establishing reliable models of human diseases using genetically engineered human and stem cell and mouse models and functional genomics screening approaches. Read more about the Hockemeyer Lab and their research.  

June 17, 2025

A recent study by ESPM professor Rachel Carlson explores whether Hawaiian businesses are willing to pay to protect coral ecosystems.

June 16, 2025

Postdoctoral researcher Sunnyjoy Dupuis, PhD '25 Microbiology,  writes about the PMB and QB3-Berkeley scientists peeking in on algae at night to discover how the organisms prepare for another stressful day on the job.

June 13, 2025

2024 Bearhs Environmental Leadership Program participant Ali Odeh leads water service providers in Palestine.