Bioengineering

Can bats help us design a better driverless car?

10/05/21 — Bakar Fellows: Bioengineer Michael Yartsev is translating bats’ neurological "rules of the road" into computational algorithms to guide development of navigation systems for driverless cars

Jay Keasling receives Distinguished Scientist Fellow award

09/23/21 — Berkeley Lab: Bioengineer and senior faculty scientist is honored by DOE for scientific leadership and engagement with the academic and research communities

Seven Berkeley engineers honored as 2022 Siebel Scholars

09/23/21 — They are among 82 exceptional students from the world’s leading graduate schools of business, computer science, and bioengineering.

Illustration of heart tissue in isochoric chamber

Cold-hearted science: Supercooling technique advances preservation of human tissue

09/22/21 — Berkeley researchers revive human heart tissue that had been supercooled at subfreezing temperatures for days, showing promise of technique that could be a game-changer for organ transplants and medical research.

BRAVO research participant communicates through brain activity translated by a neural network.

From brain waves to words

07/19/21 UCSF — Neuroprosthesis breakthrough from joint Berkeley-UCSF bioengineering program restores words to man with paralysis

Peek inside flying bat’s brain uncovers clues to mammalian navigation

07/08/21 — Study by neuroscientists, bioengineers finds neural “GPS system” that tracks many mammals' present — and future — location

Bioengineering professor Dan Fletcher (center) with graduate students Maria Diaz de Leon Derby and Sungmin Son

The health lab in your pocket

04/26/21 — A COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR is professor Dan Fletcher’s latest transformation of cell phones into mobile diagnostic tools.

A microfluidic "chip" developed by the Streets lab for single cell analysis

Unraveled

04/26/21 — Bioengineers have created a microfluidic platform that can be used to unravel and image lengthy strands of DNA.

Out of the bag

04/26/21 — A chemical process that converts polyethylene plastic into a strong adhesive could create economic incentives for recycling plastic bags.

Tiny wireless oxygen monitor, shown on a finger

Tiny wireless implant detects oxygen deep within the body

04/14/21 — Ultrasound-powered device offers minimally invasive way to monitor organs or tissue

Computer rendering of CRISPR SNP Chip device

CRISPR-Chip advance streamlines genetic testing for medical diagnostics and research

04/05/21 — New study demonstrates platform's ability to detect single-point mutation without DNA amplification

TotalVI: A transformative algorithm

03/25/21 — UC Berkeley researchers have invented a computer algorithm that uses deep learning to integrate gene and protein data about single cells

Using microfluidics to peer deeper into the structure of our genome

01/21/21 — UC Berkeley researchers develop a novel technique, based on a microfluidic platform, for unraveling and imaging lengthy strands of DNA

Bundles of plastic bags awaiting recycling

Upcycling: Turning plastic bags into adhesives

12/17/20 — New catalytic process can stick polyethylene to metal or other materials, potentially boosting the economics of recycling

UC Berkeley-led team receives $8.4M for AI-based approaches to cyber-physical systems

12/10/20 — Project proposes a novel approach that blends AI and machine learning with guidance from human and computational oracles

Graduate student Connor Tsuchida at work in the Doudna lab

Environment draws students to Nobel winners’ labs

12/10/20 — Bioengineering grad student Connor Tsuchida and others reflect on the joys of working in new Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna's CRISPR lab

Illustration of cellphone checking for coronavirus RNA

CRISPR-based COVID-19 test uses smartphone cameras

12/04/20 — New diagnostic test, with accurate results in under 30 minutes, developed by scientists at Berkeley (including bioengineer Daniel Fletcher) and Gladstone Institutes

Sanjay Kumar, RObert RItchie and Peidong Yang

Top scholars named AAAS fellows

12/02/20 — Engineering professors Sanjay Kumar (bioengineering), Robert Ritchie (mechanical engineering and materials science) and Peidong Yang (chemistry and materials science) are among five Berkeley scholars elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Graphic of Lucira coronavirus test device and 4-step instructions

Home coronavirus test springs from Berkeley Engineering roots

11/18/20 — First FDA-approved, rapid test for home use was developed by Lucira Health, founded by bioengineering Ph.D. graduates Debkishore Mitra and John Waldeisen

The way it moves

11/05/20 — Bioengineers have determined how tumor cells adhere to and move through brain tissue.