College of Chemistry

Scientists discover new clue behind age-related diseases and food spoilage

February 26, 2020

criegee intermediate research

Scientists in the lab of Kevin Wilson (Ph.D. '03, Chem), at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have made a surprising discovery that could help explain our risk for developing chronic diseases or cancers as we get older, and how our food decomposes over time. What’s more, their findings, which were reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), point to an unexpected link between the ozone chemistry in our atmosphere and our cells’ hardwired ability to ward off disease.

Enrique Iglesia appointed to the Royal Academy of Sciences

July 16, 2021

Enrique Iglesia

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Enrique Iglesia, Theodore Vermeulen Professor in Chemical Engineering, and been appointed as a Foreign Academic member of the Real Academia de Ciencias of Spain (Academy), during a meeting in Plenary Session in June.

...

Michael Zuerch receives Society of Hellman Fellows award

June 20, 2021

example of extreme photonics in the lab

Extreme photonics and nonlinear optics in the lab. Photo courtesy Michael Zuerch

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Assistant Professor of Chemistry Michael Zuerch has received an award in support of his research from the...

Omar Yaghi awarded the German Chemical Society gold medal

March 4, 2020

Omar Yaghi

Omar Yaghi has been awrded the the 2020 August-Wilhelm-von-Hofmann-Denkmünze. The German Chemical Society bi-annually presents this prestigious award to an outstanding national and international chemists in a wide range of fields. Among the oldest chemistry awards, the August-Wilhelm-von-Hofmann-Denkmünze gold medal was first awarded in 1903. The award is intended to recognize outstanding achievements in chemistry; in particular by scientists working outside of Germany.

Huge bacteria-eating viruses narrow gap between life and non-life

February 12, 2020

Discovery of new class of phages

Scientists have discovered hundreds of unusually large, bacteria-killing viruses with capabilities normally associated with living organisms, blurring the line between living microbes and viral machines as reported in new research findings in Nature. These phages — short for bacteriophages, so-called because they “eat” bacteria — are of a size and complexity considered typical of life, carry numerous genes normally found in bacteria and use these genes against their bacterial hosts.

Alumna Carol Burns receives Garvan-Olin Medal

September 3, 2020

Carol Burns, alumna, Los Alamos Lab

(Photo: Los Alamos Lab)

Carol Burns (Ph.D. '87, Chem) executive officer for the Deputy Director for Science, Technology & Engineering at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was selected as the recipient of the 2021 American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Francis P. Garvan‒John M. Olin Medal. This national award recognizes distinguished service in the field of...

This crystal impurity is sheer perfection

June 29, 2021

STEM tomography image of a 3D-grown 100-200-nanometer crystalline disc

Scientists at Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley design 3D-grown material that could speed up production of new technologies for smart buildings and robotics. STEM tomography image of a 3D-grown 100-200-nanometer crystalline disc. (Credit: Berkeley Lab)

Crystallization is one of the most fundamental processes found in nature – and it’s what...

The College welcomes four new faculty members

September 12, 2022
Portraits of Hendrik Utzat, Jennifer Bergner, Robert Saxton, and Aditi Krishnapriyan.

The College is delighted to announce our newest chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering faculty members (l to r) Hendrik Utzat, Jennifer Bergner, Robert Saxton, and Aditi Krishnapriyan.

Hendrik Utzat

Born in Essen, Germany, Hendrik attended...

Introducing a kinder, gentler way to blow holes in cells

March 29, 2019

NanoEP experiment

A new technique developed by University of California, Berkeley, nanomaterials scientists has overcome the overcome the obstacles to delivering macromolecules using inexpensive lab equipment to efficiently infuse large macromolecules into cells. Called nanopore-electroporation, or nanoEP, the technique gently creates fewer than a dozen tiny holes in each cell that are sufficient to let molecules into the cell without traumatizing it. The pores heal rapidly afterward. In tests, more than 95 percent of the cells survived the procedure. .

David Limmer awarded 2022 Donald S. Noyce Undergraduate Teaching Prize

May 27, 2022

The Noyce Prize award memorabilia for David Limmer

Prof. David Limmer's Donal S. Noyce prize certifictate and medal. (photo courtesy of Prof. Limmer.)

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Assistant Professor of Chemistry David Limmer, (Ph.D. ’13, Chem) has been awarded the 2022 Donald Sterling...