Biochemistry

Scientists find trigger that sets off metastasis in pancreatic cancer

July 5, 2022
by Robert Sanders | UC Berkeley Public Affairs

Illustration of Healthy pancreas (left) and metastatic tumors on the liver (right)

Scientists have found that cancers in the pancreas (left) readily metastasize because these tumors suppress levels of an enzyme, MSRA, that pulls oxygen atoms off amino acids called methionine. As MSRA levels decrease, methionines on proteins become more oxidized. This causes one particular protein to rev up energy production in...

David Schaffer: Research that takes risks must be supported

August 22, 2022
By Ivan Natividad| UC Berkeley Public Relations

David Schaffer

Bakar Fellows Program Director and UC Berkeley professor David Schaffer reflects on the reasons why he sees Berkeley as a leader in world-changing research, innovation and entrepreneurship. (UC Berkeley photo by Mark Joseph Hanson)

The Berkeley Changemaker is a Berkeley News series highlighting innovative members of the campus community engaged in work and research that...

Bacteria for blastoff: Using microbes to make supercharged new rocket fuel

July 1, 2022
By Aliyah Kovner | Berkeley Lab

Illustration of rocket fuel from bacteria

Scientists turned to an oddball bacterial molecule that looks like a jaw full of sharp teeth to create a new type of fuel that could be used for all types of vehicles, including rockets. (Credit: Jenny Nuss/Berkeley Lab)

Converting petroleum into fuels involves crude chemistry first invented by humans in the 1800s. Meanwhile, bacteria have been...

New therapy breakthrough changes the shape of treatment for undruggable diseases

February 24, 2022
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Illustration of DUBTAC target

DUBTAC in action against a target. (Courtesy Nomura Lab)

For some time, scientists have been working on the major challenge of developing new therapies against many human diseases. Many of these diseases are caused by the abberant action of certain proteins in our cells that are considered “undruggable”, or difficult to therapeutically target using classical drug...

Print, recycle, repeat: Scientists demonstrate a biodegradable printed circuit

September 1, 2022
Theresa Duque | Berkeley Lab

A Berkeley Lab-led research team has developed a fully recyclable and biodegradable printed circuit. The research could divert wearable devices and other flexible electronics from landfill, and mitigate the health and environmental hazards posed by heavy metal waste. (Credit: Marilyn Sargent/Berkeley Lab)

According to the United Nations, less than a quarter of all U.S. electronic waste gets recycled. In 2021 alone, global e-waste surged at 57.4 million tons, and only 17.4% of that was...

Yeast produce low-cost, high-quality cannabinoids

February 27, 2019
By Robert Sanders, Media relations
UC Berkeley synthetic biologists have engineered brewer’s yeast to produce marijuana’s main ingredients—mind-altering THC and non-psychoactive CBD.

Groundbreaking collaborative research program will explore common characteristics of Glaucoma, Alzheimer’s

July 14, 2022
College of Chemistry Press Release
Assistant Professor Karthik Shekhar will participate in the Catalyst for a Cure sponsored by Glaucoma Research Foundation.

Discovery could lead to new fungicides to protect rice crops

February 13, 2023
By Robert Sanders | UC Berkeley media relations

healthy rice field

Blast disease destroys between 10% and 35% of the world’s rice harvest each year. A new discovery could lead to fungicides that block the pathogen, Magnaporthe oryzae, from entering the leaves. This photo of a healthy rice field was taken in Chengdu, China, in 2019. (Photo credit: Nicholas Talbot)

A fungus that plagues rice crops worldwide gains entry to plant cells in a way that leaves...

An adjuvant made in yeast could lower vaccine cost and boost availability

May 8, 2024
By Robert Sanders | Berkeley News
Biosynthesis in yeast produces a cheaper immune-boosting ingredient of many vaccines.

ACS Publications names Chris Chang as the next Editor-in-Chief of Accounts of Chemical Research

November 14, 2023
ACS Press Release
Beginning in 2024, Professor Christopher J. Chang will take the helm as Editor-in-Chief of Accounts of Chemical Research.