Chemical Biology

How to edit the genes of nature’s master manipulators

December 6, 2022

Hourglass structure

Scientists are using CRISPR to engineer the viruses that evolved to engineer bacteria. Illustration Davian Ho.

CRISPR, the Nobel Prize-winning gene editing technology, is poised to have a profound impact on the fields of microbiology and medicine yet again.

A team led by CRISPR pioneer...

Daniel Nomura recognized by the National Cancer Institute

November 9, 2022

Daniel K. Nomura

Daniel Nomura, a professor in the departments of Chemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, has received a 2022 Outstanding...

The College celebrates 150 years of inspiring scientific exploration and education

March 16, 2022

Nobel Laureates David MacMillan, Jennifer Doudna, and Yuan T. Lee raise their glasses to the College's 150th anniversary

Douglas Clark, dean of the College of Chemistry toasts (l to r) Nobel laureates David MacMillan, Jennifer Doudna, and Yuan T. Lee. (Photo Brittany Hosea-Small)...

Chris Chang discusses molecular iron electrocatalyst for the reduction of carbon dioxide

August 26, 2021

Invention Interview with Chris Chang: Molecular Iron Electrocatalyst for the Reduction of Carbon Dioxide (2021)

Podcast: Nobel Laureates Frances Arnold and Jennifer Doudna on prizes, pandemics, and Jimmy Page

February 18, 2021

Frances Arnold and Jennifer Doudna

The recent Nobel chemistry-prize winners, alumna Frances Arnold and Professor Jennifer Doudna, tell Stereo Chemistry about what comes after that momentous call from Stockholm. Credit: Frances Arnold photo (Caltech); Jennifer Doudna photo (Lauran Morton Photography)

Where do you take your career after you’ve won...

Catalyst breaks only molecules’ toughest C–H bonds

May 19, 2020

smokestacks

In new research reported in Nature, an international team of chemical engineers have designed a material that can capture carbon dioxide from wet flue gasses better than current commercial materials. One way to ameliorate the polluting impact of flue gases is to take the CO2 out of them and store it in geological formations or recycle it; there is, in fact, an enormous amount of research trying to find novel materials that can capture CO2 from these flue gasses.

The power of change in science

March 9, 2020

women trailblazers

Guided by CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna, a formidable entrepreneur in her own right, C&EN profiled 15 women working in the Chemical industry in academics and startups in C&EN's 2020 Trailblazers. Four of them are affiliated with UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry. They have collectively launched more than 30 start-ups aimed at developing treatments for rare diseases, building better batteries, and more. They’re chemical scientists at the top of their game. They’re role models building and mentoring teams. And yes, they’re badasses. They live by the motto “Nobody ever got anywhere by listening to no.”

Discovery of a pathway for terminal-alkyne amino acid biosynthesis

March 15, 2019

Michelle ChangUC Berkeley researchers, led by Professor of Chemistry Michelle Chang, have discovered a biosynthetic pathway that makes amino acids containing terminal alkynes. Because such functional groups are rare in natural products, they provide a handle for chemistry that’s not generally found in biological organisms. For example, chemists could use such groups to attach fluorescent dyes to proteins via click chemistry.

Potential new way to boost biofuels and bioproducts production

November 27, 2018

Itay Budin and Jay KeaslingJBEI researchers gain understanding of central metabolism of bacteria and yeast species commonly used in biotechnology.