Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

In Memoriam: J. Frank Valle-Riestra

December 6, 2021
by George Tyson, Judson King, and Jeffrey Reimer

Black and white photo of old manJ. Frank Valle-Riestra (1924-2021). Undated photo.

We are sad to report that J. Frank Valle-Riestra passed away in April of this year. Frank was a first generation American born on November 12, 1924 in Oakland, California. He was the son of Carlos and Milena (Pudil) Valle-Riestra. Carlos was originally from Peru. Milena was from the former Czechoslovakia. Carlos...

David Schaffer announced as director of the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub

March 7, 2022
Marge d'Wylde | College of Chemistry

Rendering of Bakar BioEnginuity Hub

The Bakar BioEnginuity Hub will rent space to science-based startups, and provide campus programs for scholars and researchers. This rendering displays the versatility of the multi-leveled space, housed in the old Berkeley Art...

Cerium carbonate catalyst protects against harmful oxidation

October 29, 2021
Mitch Jacoby | C&EN

Chain of molecules

Microscopic particles of cerium carbonate are potent antioxidation catalysts. Illustration courtesy ACS Appl. Nano Mater.

Titanium dioxide and other metal oxides are widely used as bright white pigments and sunscreen agents, but they can cause damaging oxidation reactions that can degrade the materials the coatings were meant to protect. A new study shows that blending the oxides...

US News ranks CBE graduate program #2 in country

March 19, 2020
College of Chemistry Press Release

US News and World Report ranks CBE #2

The College of Chemistry at UC Berkeley is pleased to announce that the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) has been ranked number two in a tie with Caltech in the 2021 U.S. News and World Report list of best chemical engineering graduate schools in the United States. MIT was in first place.

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.

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.

PDP student research becomes white papers for Givaudan

October 31, 2022
Sudhir Joshi
PDP is pleased to present a series of white papers produced by our students for Givaudan – a global flavors and fragrances supplier. The papers were part of the PDP student's capstone projects.

CBE student Zirun Liang among recipients of 'Future Leaders in Chemical Engineering' award

October 21, 2025
Press Release | College of Chemistry
Zirun was honored for his research with Professor Markita Landry, entitled 'Single-Molecule Modification of Carbon Nanotubes Through Stochastic Deposition of ssDNA'.

Gel nail manicures come with exposure to skin-damaging UV. A UC Berkeley chemist has a solution.

October 14, 2025
By Robert Sanders | Berkeley News
A key discovery in a Berkeley lab led to a spray, now on the market, that protects skin from the cancer-causing UV emitted by gel hardening lamps — without affecting the nails' looks or durability.

David Schaffer named to NAE

February 12, 2025
By Veronica Bartell | College of Chemistry
David Schaffer inducted by prestigious organization for world-changing research.