Keasling Named 2025 DOE/NAI Innovator of the Year

head and shoulders photo of Keasling in lab examining a flask of fluid. photo by JBEI

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.

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UC Berkeley Awards $200K Venture Grant to HypO2Regen Therapeutics

text logo of 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.

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Equipad wins Collider Cup Alumni Expo Award

photo of Gurram and Patel in front of Berkeley SCET banner

BioE-founded startup Equipad is on a mission to provide free, eco-friendly, accessible menstrual care in innovative roll format in restrooms everywhere. Recent BioE graduates Sanjana Gurram and Bryan Wong, with Master of Development Practice alumna Pooja Patel, have developed the materials and dispenser voted best alumni project at the Collider Cup.

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Berman wins Strauss Scholarship

photo of Berman and Chancellor Lyons, waist up, on the patio at the Alumni House

BioE junior Emma Berman has been awarded the Strauss Scholarship, an honor which supports a current Berkeley student pursue a self-initiated public service project. Emma is leading a student-driven community initiative to destigmatize the current social narrative surrounding hearing loss to create a new image for wearable hearing technology. Congratulations!

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Lareau named MTI Innovator

lareau

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.

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Gustinvil named Outstanding GSI

Bioengineering PhD student Lordean Gustinvil will receive a 2024-25 Outstanding GSI Award from the UC Berkeley campus. Awards are given to the best GSIs of the year, nominated by the course instructor.

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Congratulations NSF Fellows!

NSF logo

Congratulations to our new NSF Graduate Research Fellows! Among the winners are current PhD students Ashley Qin; incoming PhD students Erin Ahern and Steven Robles Blasini; graduating undergraduates Monica Mendoza, Safaa Mouline and Arvind Swamynathan; and undergraduate alumni Jacob Bryan, Emily Huynh, and Elaine Tong. Well done!

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