Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Research shines a light on development of the visual cortex during the critical period after birth

January 19, 2022
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release
A new study from the labs of Professors S. Lawrence Zipursky (UCLA) and Karthik Shekhar (UC Berkeley) presents "significant findings that shine an exciting light on our understanding of the influence of vision during the critical period of development in the mouse visual cortex.”

Frances Arnold: from graduate student to Nobel Laureate

March 3, 2019
by Michael Barnes | College of Chemistry
Caltech professor and Cal alum Frances Arnold, has won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her discoveries in the directed evolution of enzymes. Arnold is the fifth woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry since it was first awarded in 1901.

Microbes provide sustainable hydrocarbons for petrochemical industry

January 7, 2022
By Robert Sanders | UC Berkeley media relations

Illustration of a bio-petroleum process

Researchers from UC Berkeley and the NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers have developed a chemical technology that combines fermentation and chemical refining (center panels) to produce petroleum-like liquids (right) from renewable plants (left). (Image by John Beumer, courtesy of NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers)

If the petrochemical industry is ever to wean...

Markita Landry named CITRIS Innovation Fellowship and AIC Award​ee

December 17, 2024
College of Chemistry
Markita Landry's project, nanotechnologies for rapid crop bioengineering, has made her the recipient of the CITRIS Innovation Fellowship and an AIC Award​ee.

Rui Wang joins Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering faculty at UC Berkeley

October 30, 2018
The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Rui Wang as assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) commencing January 2019.

David Schaffer receives Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Intercampus Research Award

October 31, 2018
Berkeley Neuroscience News
The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub has awarded HWNI member, and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor, David Schaffer with an intercampus research award.

Study shows promise of optogenetics as a new epilepsy treatment

November 25, 2024
By Veronica Bartell | College of Chemistry
A potential new treatment for epilepsy uses light pulses to stop seizure-like activity.

First natural enzyme creates azides from scratch

September 30, 2024
By Veronica Bartell | College of Chemistry
A team of researchers reported the discovery of the first natural enzyme capable of creating complex molecules, azides, from simpler molecules, which could lead to safer drug development and biological research.

Markita Landry announced as laureate for Blavatnik National Award

September 12, 2024
College of Chemistry Press Release
Markita Landry is awarded the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists for pioneering nanoscale chemical tools to address disparate challenges in human health and sustainability.

The Future Looks Bright for Infinitely Recyclable Plastic

April 22, 2021
by Aliyah Kovner | Berkeley Lab
A study that shows what can be accomplished if manufacturers began using PDKs on a large scale. The bottom line? PDK-based plastic could quickly become commercially competitive with conventional plastics, and the products will get less expensive and more sustainable as time goes on.