Professor Liana Lareau has been co-leading the Innovative Genomics Institute effort to monitor mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the local community. The team’s rapid sequencing turnaround is crucial for tracking the spread of new variants, including the more infectious B.1.1.7 recently detected in two cases at Berkeley.
Project Profile: Information Extraction from Unstructured Clinical Notes Using Natural Language Processing
Bioengineering Master of Engineering students discovering inaccurate extracted information from unstructured Clinical notes using Natural Language Processing.
Using microfluidics to peer deeper into the structure of our genome
Professor Aaron Streets’ lab has developed a novel technique for unraveling and imaging lengthy strands of DNA.
Video – Dan Fletcher on new rapid COVID-19 test that uses smartphone camera
Check out this video interview with Professor Dan Fletcher on his collaboration with CRISPR researchers to produce a rapid COVID-19 test using a smartphone camera.
Looking for full-time permanent work?
Graduating and looking for a full time job? Be sure to join our private LinkedIn group to see jobs we share. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1849666 Also check out openings at Bakar Labs and QB3 startups.
How water helps the substrate into the enzyme
An international research team including Professor Teresa Head-Gordon have investigated why cages can increase the catalytic activity of enclosed molecules. Using terahertz spectroscopy and complex computer simulations, they showed that water encapsulated in a tiny cage has special properties that are structurally and dynamically distinct from any known phase of water.
Three BioE alumni in Forbes 30 Under 30!
Congratulations to three bioengineering alumni named to the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Joshua Yang (MTM 2016) and Robert Chen (BS 2013) were named in Healthcare: Yang for his work on developing non-invasive tools to measure kidney injuries through startup company Nephrosant, and Chen for designing therapies for undernourished children, using links between certain gut bacteria and stunted growth. Joshua Nixon (BS 2016) and co-founder were named in the Social Impact list for founding Prime Roots, a company developing plant-based meat and seafood alternatives.
Upcycling: Turning plastic bags into adhesives
Professor Phil Messersmith’s lab has collaborated on a new chemical process that converts polyethylene plastic into a strong and valuable adhesive, and could make plastic bag recycling economically worthwhile.
Cataloging Nature’s Hidden Arsenal: Viruses that Infect Bacteria
Adam Arkin is one of the leaders of a new approach for studying which bacterial receptors phages exploit to infect cells, and what cellular mechanisms the bacteria use to respond to a phage infection. These microscopic battles have implications for medicine development, agricultural research, and climate science.