College of Chemistry

A sponge to soak up carbon dioxide in the air

February 22, 2021
by Julie Chao | Berkeley Lab

smokestacks

Berkeley Lab is pursuing a portfolio of negative emissions technologies and related research to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. (Photo courtesy Jeffrey Reimer)

Human activity is now leading to the equivalent of 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere each year, putting us on track to increase the planet’s temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius over...

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

February 18, 2021
Lisa M. Jarvis | C&EN

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...

Chemistry Grad Students Organize Virtual Beer Tasting Event for Frothy Fun

February 17, 2021
Kathleen Aycock | UC Berkeley, Graduate Division

Sierra Nevada rep discusses beer samples

A Sierra Nevada representative describes the brews during the tasting.

The Chemistry Graduate Life Committee was stuck with a conundrum when the university transitioned to remote instruction last March. How can a group of chemistry graduate students recreate the liveliness and camaraderie of in-person...

Alumna tackles tuberculosis with new portable diagnostic tool

February 1, 2021
by Caitlin McDermott-Murphy | Harvard Gazette

Mirelle Kamariza

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacteria with a cell wall thick enough to block out most drugs. Mireille Kamariza designed a molecule that embeds into that wall and lights up — researchers only need a microscope and a reagent to see it. Photo by Fred Tomlin.

Growing up in Bujumbura, Burundi, Mireille Kamariza (M.S. '15,...

Alumna and Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold tapped by President Biden to be co-chair of the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology

January 19, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Frances Arnold speaks at announcement ceremony

Professor Arnold speaks on the importance of science during a press conference.

President-elect Joe Biden on Saturday introduced key members of his White House science team, including his nominee for director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

"These are among the brightest,...

The race to repurpose nature’s protein factories

February 8, 2021
Celia Henry Arnaud | C&EN

illustration of ribosomes

The molecular machines that cells use to build proteins are backed by a billion years of evolution. In that time, these machines—ribosomes—have become exceptionally good at forging amide bonds between standard α-amino acids to make peptides and proteins.

Ribosomes are so good at their job that researchers want to harness them to make other polymers...

How scientists shot down cancer’s ‘Death Star’

February 5, 2021
Gina Kolata | New York Times

lung cancer cell

A colored scanning electron micrograph of a cell of a common type of lung cancer, called non-small cell cancer. A new drug targets the mutated protein that leads to uncontrolled growth. Credit Steve Gschmeissner/Science Source

After 40 years of effort, researchers have finally succeeded in switching off...

The College of Chemistry welcomes Dr. Brice Yates as Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer

February 8, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Brice Yates, Chief Diversity Officer

The College of Chemistry at UC Berkeley is delighted to announce that Dr. Brice Yates has joined us as the inaugural Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. He will be reporting to Professor Anne Baranger, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Dr. Yates joins the College with over ten years’...

Remembering Constance Ruben, friend of the College

March 10, 2018
By George Ruben

Remembering Constance RubenFriend of the College, Constance Mae Ruben, passed away on March 3, 2018. After graduation, she worked first in the College of Chemistry, followed by the criminology department, then for the agricultural publications section of UC Press. She was an editor and was responsible for putting together a book on the trees of the UC Berkeley campus.

Tracing the many paths of vision

December 23, 2020
Christina Bielmeier| Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology

zebra fish eye under fluorescent lighting

A new study reports results on decodeing the molecular diversity of neurons in the zebrafish retina. The resulting catalog documented studying individual cell types in the retina and linking them to a specific structure, function and behavioral...