Biochemistry

A protein voyage into cells enabled by a short helical protein

April 16, 2021
By Xizi (Kelsey) Zhang | QB3

Drawing of three pathways of endocytosis

Three common pathways of endocytosis in a cell to internalize outside substances. Figure credit: scientificanimations.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Schepartz lab at UC Berkeley recently reported a way to efficiently deliver therapeutic proteins into live cells and...

Berkeley’s ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship combats climate change

May 16, 2024
Ivan Natividad, Elizabeth Costello | Berkeley News
UC Berkeley faculty are fast-tracking the development of new and creative climate solutions.

Learning from the past: How algae use memory to protect against sudden changes in sunlight

December 7, 2023
by Alison Hatt | Berkeley Lab
Research from Graham Fleming finds the molecular mechanisms responsible for photoprotective memory in algae have implications for crop productivity.

A mouth full of microbes: UC Berkeley researchers discover compound that can cause tooth decay

August 3, 2021
By Di Gu | Berkeley QB3

Xray photo of tooth decay

UC Berkeley researchers have discovered a compound that promotes bacterial adhesion on teeth, which can lead to dental plaque and cavities. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Borba (Unsplash)

Oral diseases pose a major health burden to people in many countries. A...

Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to Christopher Chang

April 10, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Chris Chang

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Christopher Chang, Class of 1942 Chair Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, is among this year’s 184 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellows. The prestigious award recognizes scholars with impressive achievements in fields ranging from the...

An expert on 'undruggable' targets tackles the coronavirus

October 5, 2020
Becky Bish | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Dan Nomura

Nomura in his lab at UC Berkeley. Photo: Elena Zhukova

Throughout the grim reality of a global pandemic that has disrupted normal life for months, one persistent bright spot has been the robust response of the biomedical research community. The battle to develop vaccines and drugs to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19, the disease which it causes, has highlighted the...

Professor Richmond Sarpong elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

April 23, 2020
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Richmond Sarpong

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Richmond Sarpong, UC Berkeley Professor of Chemistry and Executive Associate Dean of the College of Chemistry, has been named a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This year, the Academy has elected 276 artists, scholars, scientists, and leaders in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. Sarpong joins fellow members singer Joan Baez and writer Ann Patchett in the 2020 cohort.

Chemistry across continents: How Africa is shaping Berkeley's next generation of scientists

January 15, 2026
By Sarah C.P. Williams
A record number of students and faculty in Berkeley’s College of Chemistry have ties to Africa, and the continent is inspiring their science and career paths.

Uncovering a new genetic code in microbes opens doors for new bioengineering applications

November 21, 2025
By Hope Henderson | Innovative Genomics Institute
Veronika Kivenson, Jill Banfield, Alanna Schepartz, and collaborators identify a new genetic code present in multiple kinds of microbes called archaea that may help scientists reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Frances Arnold turns microbes into living factories

May 28, 2019
by Natalie Angier | The New York Times
The engineer’s mantra, said Frances Arnold, a professor of chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, is: “Keep it simple, stupid.” But Dr. Arnold, who last year became just the fifth woman in history to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, is the opposite of stupid, and her stories sometimes turn rococo.