Doudna among eleven faculty members named AAAS Fellows

Jennifer Dounda, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and professor of molecular and cell biology, was among eleven Berkeley faculty members to be named 2008 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society. Doudna was recognized for breakthroughs in understanding RNA and RNP three-dimensional structure, including ribozymes, the signal recognition particle and human ribosomal complexes.
(December 2008)

State stem cell agency funds work to break through research barriers

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded “Tools and Technologies” grants to three UC Berkeley researchers totaling over $1.8 million. Robert Tjian, professor of molecular and cell biology, and David Schaffer, professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering, will develop new molecular tools and novel technologies for high efficiency gene targeting in stem cells. Steven M. Conolly, professor of bioengineering, will develop and test a new scanning method to track the location and viability of stem cells within the human body.
(December 2008)

Broccoli compound targets key enzyme in late-stage cancer

An anti-cancer compound found in broccoli and cabbage works by lowering the activity of an enzyme associated with rapidly advancing breast cancer, according to a study conducted by Berkeley researchers Gary Firestone, professor of molecular and cell biology, and Leonard Bjeldanes, professor of toxicology. The compound, indole-3-carbinol, is already undergoing clinical trials in humans because it was found to stop the growth of breast and prostate cancer cells in mice.
(December 2008)

EEGs show brain differences between poor and rich kids

Scientists at UC Berkeley's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and the School of Public Health have shown that the brains of low-income children function differently from those of high-income kids. Normal 9- and 10-year-olds differing only in socioeconomic status have detectable differences in the response of their prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that is critical for problem solving and creativity. The study suggests that children from lower-income environments may not receive the kinds of stimulation necessary at young ages for full brain development.
(December 2008)

The Instruction Manual of the Genome

Species are differentiated from one another not by the assemblage of proteins in DNA — not the proteins themselves. Michael Eisen, professor of genetics, genomics and development at Cal, combines bench-top experiments with computational biology to link genetic sequence variations with functional differences. This work is particularly relevant as affordable genome sequencing becomes a more real possibility for individuals.
(November 2008)

This is your brain on adolescence

Sylvia Bunge, assistant professor of psychology at Cal, is finding that the young brain — specifically, an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex — is partially responsible for the sometimes rash and erratic behavior of adolescents.
(October 2008)

Old Muscle Gets New Pep in Stem Cell Study

A team of researchers led by Irina Conboy, an assistant professor of bioengineering and an investigator at the Berkeley Stem Cell Center and at the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), have identified two key regulatory pathways that control how well adult stem cells repair and replace damaged tissue. The study is a promising step toward intervention to rejuvenate the body's own stem cells, which could prevent the onset of some of the debilitating diseases associated with aging.
(June 2008)

Center Takes Aim at Infectious Diseases

Millions of people every year contract HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. These killers, plus a dozen other neglected diseases, place a terrible medical burden upon developing nations. Yet vaccines and treatments for many of these diseases do not exist. UC Berkeley is stepping into the breach with the Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases (CEND). Launched this May, the Center aims to bring together innovative ideas and patient treatments.
(July 2008)

A Fairer Fight Against Pathogens

Prof. Daniel Portnoy's studies of mutant listeria strains are revealing how intracellular pathogens interact with the immune system. His findings are leading to new insights into the infection process and the development of vaccines against diseases such as cancer. Because they are targeted directly at cancer cells, these treatments promise to cause fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapies.
(July 2008)

NIH gives New Innovator Award to bioengineer who studies cellular mechanics

Dr. Sanjay Kumar, assistant professor of bioengineering, is one of 31 recipients of the New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health. The award recognizes investigators who are in the early stages of their careers and who have not previously held regular research grants from the NIH. Kumar’s research program combines approaches from biophysics, systems biology and oncology to study how cells sense and process mechanical forces in human health and disease.
(September 2008)

Sugars Imaged In Live Animals

The first technique for imaging carbohydrates as they are produced on cell surfaces of live animals has been developed in the lab of Chemistry/MCB Professor Carolyn Bertozzi. The new technique, based on cell-friendly fluorescent-labeling chemistry devised by the same group, will help scientists more closely probe the functional roles of carbohydrates during development and in both health and disease.
(May 2008)

CIRM awards $20 million for stem cell research facilities

On Wednesday, May 7, The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarded $20.18 million to the University of California, Berkeley, to build centralized stem cell laboratories on campus in a new biomedical research building now under construction.
(May 2008)

Doctor on Call

A team led by bioengineering professor Dan Fletcher has developed a cheap attachment to turn the digital camera on many of today's mobile phones into a microscope. Called a CellScope, it can show individual white and red blood cells, which means it can be used to identify the parasite that causes malaria. Moreover, by transmitting an image directly over the mobile network, the CellScope could greatly help with the remote diagnosis and monitoring of many illnesses.
(May 2008)

5 new HHMI investigators to be announced May 27

Five UC Berkeley faculty members have received one of the most sought-after honors in biomedical research: appointment as Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators with guaranteed research support for five, 10 or more years into the future. Four of the investigators are affiliates of the California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), and one is an affiliate of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.
(May 2008)

Three faculty members elected to National Academy of Sciences

Three UC Berkeley professors have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the nation's most prestigious societies of scholars engaged in science and engineering research. Election to the academy is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a U.S. scientist or engineer. New Members include Michael Botchan, professor of molecular and cell biology, and Jasper Rine, professor of molecular and cell biology, director of UC Berkeley's Center for Computational Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor.
(April 2008)

Five faculty elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Professors John Kuriyan and Jasper Rine were among five UC Berkeley faculty elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies and independent policy research centers. Kuriyan is a Chancellor's Professor in the departments of molecular and cell biology and chemistry, and an investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Rine is a professor of molecular and cell biology, director of UC Berkeley's Center for Computational Biology and also an HHMI professor.
(April 2008)

UC Berkeley and Stanford University launch joint stem cell research

The University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University School of Medicine will join forces in a new stem cell initiative that will catalyze research and serve as a magnet for scholars from around the world. The Siebel Stem Cell Institute, established by the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, is a joint initiative between the Berkeley Stem Cell Center and the Stanford Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Institute, two of the world's leading institutions at the forefront of biomedical science.
(March 2008)

The Copy Machine of the Cell

Michael Botchtan, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has unraveled the mystery of how DNA replicates in different organisms. Starting with viruses and continuing on to embryonic fruit flies, Botchan mapped the initiation site on a chromosome where replication begins and found the core replication machine, which includes a six-protein complex used at all DNA replication sites. This work helps prove that organisms ranging from simple to more complex have nearly identical chromosome copying methods, cementing the relationship of all life forms back to that first ancestral cell.
(January 2008)

Researcher Michael Rape aims to target chemo to specific cancerous cells, saving the rest

Michael Rape, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley, is developing a method by which cancer cells may be targeted specifically, without the adverse affects current therapeutics have on other cells in the body. To support his work, Rape recently received a $240,000 Pew Scholar Award, along with a $1.5M New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health, which is given to researchers with promising ideas that are not necessarily based on prior research.
(December 2007)

Stem cell grant will spur research on rejuvenating muscle

Irina Conboy, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and a researcher with the QB3 institute, has received a $2.25 million New Faculty Award from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The grant will forward Conboy’s research into the deterioration of aging tissues in the body, and her effort to use stem cells to initiate regeneration.
(December 2007)

New technique captures chemical reactions in a single living cell for the first time

Detecting the earliest signs of disease progression or stem cell proliferation requires drilling down to the molecules within a single cell. Researchers at Berkeley, led by Luke Lee, professor of bioengineering and director of the Biomolecular Nanotechnology Center, have developed a way to detect molecular activity within a single living cell using the frequency by which molecules absorb light. This technique offers vast improvement over that of MRI, which is only able to provide information about clusters of cells, and could lead to a new era in molecular imaging with implications for cell-based drug discovery and biomedical diagnostics.
(November 2007)

Signaling an End to TB

One of the most urgent and significant concerns in the field of public health is the increasing number of patients worldwide with drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis. Tom Alber, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Berkeley, is working to characterize the class of enzymes that TB uses to adapt to its environment. This may lead to the development of therapeutics that will inhibit even the most resistant strains of TB. The same process could also be applied to HIV.
(November 2007)

The Chemotherapy of the Future

While cancer drugs like Taxol are highly effective in slowing the growth of cancer cells, they also arrest and sometimes kill other cells in the body. Michael Rape, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology is working to fine-tune cancer therapies that will aim to stop the growth of specific cells, using a class of enzymes called ubiquitin ligases. The resulting tissue-specific chemotherapy could revolutionize the way cancer is treated.
(October 2007)

Ten scientists named fellows of AAAS

Ten UC Berkeley scientists were recently honored with fellowships by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Among the 471 scientists chosen nationwide, those representing UC Berkeley include: Randy W. Schekman, professor of molecular and cell biology; Judith Klinman, professor of chemistry; Nicholas P. Jewell, professor of biostatistics and statistics; and Stephen Hinshaw, professor of psychology. The scientists were recognized for their "for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications."
(October 2007)

Sleep loss linked to psychiatric disorders

In a recent UC Berkeley study, sleep-deprived subjects had much stronger emotional reactions to negative images than those who had had a normal night of sleep. Matthew Walker, assistant professor of psychology and the lead author of the study, observed the responses in the brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Sleep-deprived subjects showed increased activity in the area of the brain that triggers the primitive “fight-or-flight” reflex in the face of intense emotional situations, along with decreased activity in the region responsible for logical reasoning and controlled response. Implications extend across all levels of society, with inappropriate emotional reactions being troublesome, if not dangerous, in the case of medical professionals, military personnel, parents, and others.
(October 2007)

A building with its own fan club

In anticipation of the dedication of Stanley Hall, a reporter from The Berkeleyan walked through the building to glean impressions of faculty and students now working there.
(October 2007)

Subatomic particles and giant magnets

The most recent acquisition at Stanley Hall, UC Berkeley’s new interdisciplinary bioscience and bioengineering building, is a 7-ton, 900 MHz magnet, which was added in June to the facility’s existing arsenal. The technology, known as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), allows researchers to gain a deeper understanding of different aspects of biological molecules, like how they react to drugs. Located in the basement of Stanley, the three-story NMR facility fosters the crossover of different disciplines, which is the overarching purpose of the building itself. In the case of NMR, according to the facility’s manager, Jeff Pelton, researchers are “using chemistry to understand biology.”
(October 2007)

Stanley Hall dedication heralds new era of bioscience innovation

Stanley Hall, the most recently completed building on campus, was dedicated on September 28, 2007. The state-of-the-art facility’s layout purposefully fosters interdisciplinary approaches to research among faculty and students in the departments of bioengineering, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and computer science. Located on the campus’s northeast corner, the building brings together some of the world’s leading bioscience researchers, promising exciting opportunities to transform human health, energy and the environment.
(September 2007)

Neuroscientists connect neural activity and blood flow in new brain stimulation technique

Researchers at UC Berkeley have deciphered how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) works to measure the electrical activity of nerve cells in the brain. TMS is a harmless, non-invasive method of measuring neural activity; however, data about the basic effects of TMS were previously scarce. Determining the workings of TMS could make the method a promising new tool in brain research and treatment of clinical disorders like depression.
(September 2007)

Young Innovator in Cancer Research Chosen for NIH Award

Michael Rape, assistant professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley, has received the National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award for his plan to identify tissue-specific cancer drugs that will inhibit the uncontrolled division of cancer cells without doing the same to other tissues in the body. The New Innovator Award is part of NIH’s Roadmap for Medical Research initiative that supports research outside of the institute’s traditional peer-review system. NIH chose Rape’s research for its “highly creative, high-risk/high-payoff” elements.
(September 2007)

NIEHS Awards $4.7 Million to Help Detect Human Exposure to Environmental Contaminants

Testing blood for cancer risks caused by environmental contaminants has historically been an expensive and cumbersome process. However, with a recent $4.7 million grant awarded to UC Berkeley researchers by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the opportunity now exists to develop methods to more quickly and inexpensively test blood for such hazards. With the award, a new Center for Exposure Biology will be established and will host three interdisciplinary projects: Protein Adductomics, Lab-on-a Chip Microsystems, and Portable Biosensors. The center will be headed by adjunct professor of environmental health sciences Stephen Rappaport.
(September 2007)

Can’t Cut This

What do diseases like malaria, AIDS, cardiovascular disease and diabetes have in common? They all involve proteases, enzymes that cut in half certain proteins in the blood. While protease inhibitor drugs have been elemental in fighting diseases such as these, finding the proteins that proteases target is extraordinarily complex. Jonathan Ellman, a professor of chemistry at UC Berkeley, has developed a more efficient way to match proteases to protein substrates, which involves attaching precursor molecules to polystyrene beads resembling sand grains. His techniques are now being used to develop therapeutics for a number of other diseases.
(September 2007)

SynBERC Scientists Honored by Technology Review

Three scientists in QB3’s Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC) have been recognized by Technology Review magazine as among the world’s top innovators under age 35. J. Christopher Anderson, a post-doctoral bioengineering researcher at UCB, was chosen for designing tumor-killing bacteria. Kristala Jones Prather of MIT has developed reverse-engineering strategy for synthesizing commercial molecules biologically. Neil Renninger of Amyris Biotechnologies was recognized for applying synthetic-biology to the production of biofuels. Both Prather and Renninger obtained their Ph.D.s from UC Berkeley.
(September 2007)

Pines Wins Prestigious 2007 R&D 100 Award

Professor Alex Pines of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and his colleagues have been recognized by R&D Magazine as making one of the 100 most significant proven technological advances of the year. The group has developed laser-detected MRI, which eliminates the need for a high-field magnet. The magnet has previously prohibited scanning certain phenomena and objects due to their size or properties. This breakthrough technology may soon make it possible to use MRI to test a far wider range of matter, from tissue samples to petroleum reservoirs.
(September 2007)

The Beam of Light That Flips a Switch That Turns on the Brain

New advances in genetic and optical technology are allowing researchers to remotely control certain sets of cells in the brain by causing them to respond to flashes of light. This technology provides an alternative to electrode stimulation, which allows for less specificity in targeting neurons. It has the potential to be used in treatments of patients with paralysis, blindness and depression. UC Berkeley chemistry professor Ehud Isacoff has developed one of several methods of this type of brain stimulation, having engineered a high-speed switch by tethering a light-sensitive synthetic molecular string to proteins in brain cell membranes.
(August 2007)

Compound in Broccoli has Immune-Boosting Properties, Finds New Study

3,3’-diindolylmethane, or DIM, a compound found in broccoli and similar vegetables, has already been proven to stop the growth of certain cancer cells. Now a study led by Leonard Bjeldanes, UC Berkeley professor of toxicology, has found that DIM also helps to boost the immune system. The scientists found that a 10-micromolar dose of DIM doubled the number of white blood cells that help the body fight infection, and there is a 5-10 micromolar dose in a large plate of broccoli. The study also reinforces DIM’s cancer-fighting benefits. Future research will investigate the compound’s effects on pathogenic viruses and bacteria.
(August 2007)

Flies Prefer Fizzy Drinks

UC Berkeley researchers have found that fruit flies have a specialized taste for carbonated water, perhaps explaining why they are attracted to foods with growing microorganisms (rotting). The discovery was made by Kristen Scott, assistant professor of molecular and cell biology and her colleagues at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, who found that dissolved carbon dioxide was a taste trigger preferred by the flies. While the taste modality currently appears exclusive to fruit flies, the finding could lead to the discovery of similar or other taste modalities in humans that are indicative of certain nutritional needs.
(August 2007)

$1.8 Million Gift Will Advance Health Research

Scientists at UC Berkeley may be one step closer to finding cures for some debilitating diseases thanks to a $1.8 million gift from the Gilead Foundation. Half of the Gilead gift will go toward Professors Jennifer Doudna and Carolyn Bertozzi to assist in their research on Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis respectively. The other half goes unrestricted to the Health Sciences Initiative in the hope of fostering collaborations among other health investigators and promoting the goal of overall excellence in research on diseases like cancer, MS and Alzheimer’s.
(July 2007)

Eminent Biochemist Daniel Koshland has Died

Daniel E. Koshland, Jr., a long-time professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley and former editor of the journal Science, died at age 87 of a massive stroke on July 23. Among his countless accomplishments, Koshland spearheaded the reorganization of biology at UC Berkeley in the 1980s, placing the university in a leading position in the biological sciences. He was the recipient of nearly a dozen prestigious awards, including the National Medical of Science in 1990. Koshland is remembered by colleagues for his “qualities of honesty, kindness, unselfishness, originality and wisdom.”
(July 2007)

Schaffer wins $2.1 million stem cell research grant

UC Berkeley chemical engineering professor David Schaffer has won a $2.1 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to expand the research program of the Berkeley Stem Cell Center, of which he is associate director. The center conducts laboratory research in basic cell biology, chemistry, bioengineering and chemical engineering. Schaffer also holds a faculty appointment at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.
(July 2007)

HIV in breast milk killed by flash-heating, new study finds

According to a new study led by researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, a simple method of flash-heating breast milk infected with HIV successfully inactivated the free floating virus. The study provides hope that mothers with HIV in developing nations will soon be able to more safely feed their babies.
(21 May 2007)

New teaching, research building gets go-ahead

The University of California Board of Regents approved the construction of the Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences that will house teaching and research focused on the fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying human health and disease.
(17 May 2007)

Proteins as shape-shifters

UC Berkeley professor of chemical engineering, Jhih-Wei Chu models the behavior of proteins atom by atom. By understanding how proteins interact with other molecules, as well as larger structures in the cell, Chu is developing a new way to target medicines, design novel materials, and ultimately improve our understanding of cell behavior.
(May 2007)

The protein machine

The ribosome is about as complex as cellular machinery gets and deciphering its structure in detail has been a challenge facing scientists since its discovery in the 1950’s. Jamie Cate, UC Berkeley professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, and chemistry, is among the leaders in the current effort to map the ribosome’s structure. Cate’s work is not only unveiling new aspects of this critical cellular component, but could eventually lead to designs for an entirely new generation of antibiotics.
(April 2007)

Self-tuning genes

Rachel Brem, UC Berkeley professor of genetics and development and QB3 faculty affiliate, studies yeast genes in hopes of finding ways to easily locate and analyze potentially harmful gene variations in humans. Brem seeks to find characteristics that will make it easier to identify self-regulatory genes, and home in on the mutations most likely to cause disease.
(April 2007)

New medical technique punches holes in cells, could treat tumors

A new study led by Boris Rubinsky, UC Berkeley professor of bioengineering and mechanical engineering, may be a potential breakthrough in minimally invasive surgical treatments of tumors. The study on pigs, the first large animal trial for the irreversible electroporation (IRE) technique, has shown that certain microsecond electrical pulses can punch nanoscale holes in the membranes of target cells without harming tissue scaffolding, including that in the blood vessels. With IRE, the holes in the cell membrane do not reseal, causing the target cell to lose its ability to maintain homeostasis and die, while leaving healthy cells intact.
(12 February 2007)

Peptide targets latent papilloma virus infections

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers in the world, second only to lung cancer. More than 90 percent of cervical cancer is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infections. A team of UC Berkeley researchers have successfully created a protein fragment (peptide) that prevents the virus from hitching a ride on a cell’s chromosomes as the cell divides. If the peptide works in the body, it would effectively stop the virus from spreading or progressing to cancer.
(2 January 2007)

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