College of Chemistry

With its coronavirus rapid paper test strip, this CRISPR startup wants to help halt a pandemic

March 16, 2020
John Cumbers _ Forbes.com

new CRISPR based test for coronavirus

A potential solution to speeding up the diagnostics of coronavirus may have presented itself in the form of the gene editing molecular tool called CRISPR. Combined with high-scale advances in automation and computation, CRISPR promises to be a real game-changer in the field of synthetic biology, impacting everything from chemicals and materials to food and health. CRISPR’s precision has an uncanny ability to find a specific sequence within a sample, and one startup has a way to test for coronavirus in 30 minutes (the whole process including sample preparation will take about 4 hours).

Kwabena Bediako named Moore Fellow

August 31, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Kwabena Bediako
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has named Kwabena Bediako, The Cupola Era Professor in the College of Chemistry, a 2021 Fellow in Materials Synthesis.

Prof. Bediako will receive a grant for $1.2 million as part of the foundation'...

Can synthetic polymers replace the body’s natural proteins?

March 20, 2023
By Robert Sanders | Media Relations

Illustration of biological fluids are made up of hundreds or thousands of different proteins

Biological fluids are made up of hundreds or thousands of different proteins (represented by space filling models above) that evolved to work together efficiently but flexibly. UC Berkeley polymer scientists are trying to create artificial fluids composed of random heteropolymers (threads inside spheres) with much less...

Peidong Yang elected Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

November 22, 2021
College of Chemistry Press Release

Peidong Yang

The College is pleased to announce that Peidong Yang, the S.K. and Angela Chan Distinguished Professor of Energy and Professor of Chemistry, has been elected a Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Academy). The Academy also named Steven Louie, UC...

Alumni innovation in the news

March 13, 2019
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Ripple MilkGraduates of the College’s Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering departments are making news as they become market innovators with their recent startups and products. News stories about Lygos, Chemistry and Ripple look at the latest chemistry innovations and funding for these companies.

Douglas Clark receives award for excellence in biochemical engineering

May 6, 2019
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Douglas Clark

Dean Douglas Clark has been awarded the prestigious D.I.C. Wang Award for Excellence in Biochemical Engineering for 2019 from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Markita Landry awarded Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science

September 7, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Markita Landry

Markita del Carpio Landry, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UC Berkeley has been announced as a 2022 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science recipient. The prize is awarded...

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...

The College of Chemistry at UC Berkeley intends to explore the mutual benefits of a new Graduate Institute in Meishan, Greater Chengdu

September 4, 2019
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

MOA signing

The College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, the People’s Government of Meishan, Lanzhou University, and the West Hope Tequ Group signed a memorandum of agreement to explore the development of a new graduate institute in Meishang, China on September 4, 2019. The College of Chemistry’s participation would be to offer advice to Lanzhou University on this new graduate institute.

Markita Landry awarded a 2022 McKnight Scholarship

July 6, 2022
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Markita Landry

The Board of Directors of The McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience has announced the selection six neuroscientists to receive the 2022 McKnight Scholar Award including Markita Landry, Assistant Professor of...