College of Chemistry

Omar Yaghi awarded the inaugural VinFuture Special Prize

January 24, 2022
VinFuture Prize Press Release

Omar Yaghi at the VinFuture award ceremony - Vietnam

The first Special Prize, dedicated to “Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields”, is awarded to Professor Omar Yaghi (USA) for his work on discovering metal-organic frameworks. — Photo courtsey VinFuture Prize

The first VinFuture Special Prize for Innovators with...

Jennifer Doudna awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry

October 7, 2020
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Jennifer Doudna

Jennifer Doudna, 2020 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. photo: Keegan Houser

For immediate release

The College of Chemistry is delighted to announce that biochemist Jennifer Doudna was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry today, sharing it with colleague Emmanuelle...

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

Different layers of the cortex are visualized as depths in the ocean, with the sun playing the role of light/vision

Different layers of the cortex are visualized as depths in the ocean, with the sun playing the role of light/vision. (Illustration by...

Reshaping evolution

January 10, 2022
TED Radio Hour | NPR

Illustration of DNA and parade of animals and man

Illustration of DNA with parade of animals and humans. (Adobestock)

New innovations in gene and stem cell technology have the power to shape ecosystems and even change humanity. This hour, TED speakers share the breakthroughs heralding the next scientific revolution.

Guests...

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)...

Genetically modified rice could emit fewer greenhouse gases

January 3, 2022
Eric Roston | Bloomberg

Rice planting

Photo: Worker planting rice. (Adobe Stock)

Fifteen years after their initial meeting to discuss what has become the CRISPR revolution, Professors Jill Banfield and Jennifer Doudna of UC Berkeley,...

Tiny liquid robots never run out of energy as long as they have food

January 3, 2022
Theresa Duque | Berkeley Lab

Liquid robots

Artist’s rendering of autonomous, continuous “liquid robots” in an animated GIF. (Credit: Jenny Nuss/Berkeley Lab)

When you think of a robot, images of R2-D2 or C-3PO might come to mind. But robots can serve up more than just entertainment on the big screen. In a lab, for example, robotic systems can improve safety and efficiency by performing repetitive tasks...

In Memoriam: J. Frank Valle-Riestra

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

Joseph Frank Villa-RiestraJ. 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...

Technique tunes into graphene nanoribbons’ electronic potential

January 3, 2022
By Rachel Berkowitz | Berkeley Lab

Photo of nanoribbons

Photo: Scanning tunneling microscopy image of a zigzag graphene nanoribbon. (Credit: Felix Fischer/Berkeley Lab)

Ever since graphene – a thin carbon sheet just one-atom thick – was discovered more than 15 years ago, the wonder material became a workhorse in materials science research. From this body of work, other researchers...

QB3 director David Schaffer elected to National Academy of Inventors

December 7, 2021
By Robert Sanders | UC Berkeley media relations

David Schaffer

David Schaffer, newly elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in his lab.

David Schaffer, a UC Berkeley chemical engineer who pioneered the use of engineered viruses to deliver gene therapies — nine of his therapies are currently in clinical trials — has been...