The Department of Bioengineering is the home and hub of Berkeley's efforts to apply engineering tools and principles to living things. Our faculty apply their diverse perspectives and skills to the spectrum of challenges facing human health, the environment, and biological research.
Areas of Special Impact
Faculty Research Areas
Bioinstrumentation
Biomaterials & Nanotechnology
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Computational Biology
Systems & Synthetic Biology
News About: Faculty Research
UC Berkeley scientists uncover neural mechanisms behind long-term memory
Researchers from Professor Michael Yartsev’s lab used wireless recording devices to track neural activity in Egyptian fruit bats, revealing new clues to how our long-term memories are formed.
Keasling Named 2025 DOE/NAI Innovator of the Year
The Department of Energy and the National Academy of Inventors have honored Professor Jay Keasling with their 2025 Innovator of the Year Award, which goes to one DOE employee who has translated research into tangible impacts that have benefited society at large. Keasling is a pioneer in synthetic biology who leads a groundbreaking research program focused on engineering microorganisms to produce advanced biofuels and chemicals.
New Process Uses Microbes to Create Valuable Materials from Urine
A team led by BioE alumnus Yasuo Yoshikuni genetically modified yeast to create hydroxyapatite, a strong and lightweight material, from the elements present in urine. With lower production costs the material may now be practical for use in wastewater treatment, fertilizer manufacturing, building materials and plastic replacement.
UC Berkeley Awards $200K Venture Grant to HypO2Regen Therapeutics
Professor Phil Messersmith and colleagues have launched HypO2Regen Therapeutics, a startup developing novel, disease-modifying therapeutics for chronic intractable inflammatory diseases, including the first cell-free stem cell treatment that induces true regeneration of damaged tissue. Their first effort takes aim at periodontitis, which affects over 300 million people worldwide.
Stanley Qi: “For many people, waiting is not an option”
PhD alumnus Stanley Qi, now a professor at Stanford University, is interviewed about his work developing advanced gene-editing tools to treat life-threatening diseases and slow the onset of neurological aging.
Lareau named MTI Innovator
Professor Liana Lareau is recognized for her revolutionary approach to treat retinitis pigmentosa and other dominant genetic diseases by combining CRISPR prime editing with machine learning.
Indigenous knowledge helps biotech find new drugs. This grad student wants those companies to give back.
Bioengineering doctoral student Maria Astolfi and her colleagues argue for a new type of partnership with indigenous peoples to create a more ethical bioeconomy.
The not-so-secret life of gut bacteria
Computational modeling from Mofrad Lab gives us a peek inside these important microbial communities.
Messersmith’s AsparaGlue named East Bay Innovation Awardee
Berkeley startup AsparaGlue, founded on science by Professor Phil Messersmith and postdoc Subhajit Pal, won an East Bay Innovation Award for their bioinspired surgical superglue.
Aaron Streets named AIMBE Fellow
Professor Aaron Streets has been named to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Streets was selected for “developing innovative technology to elucidate genome regulation with single-cell and molecule resolution, and for impactful leadership to diversify bioengineering.