Research

Viral infections decrease muscle health

06/13/17 — UC Berkeley bioengineers, led by associate professor Irina Conboy, have found unexpected effects of viral infections on muscle regeneration and other health factors, a discovery that may explain why viruses can make people feel so lousy.

Researchers teach computers to be curious

05/25/17 Engadget — When you first played Super Mario Bros, you probably started by exploring, not by racing through the game. Berkeley computer scientists have imparted that same sense of curiosity into their algorithm in a move that could drastically advance the field of artificial intelligence.

Berkeley robot practices picking up awkward and unusual objects.

Meet the most nimble-fingered robot yet

05/25/17 MIT Technology Review — A dexterous multi-fingered robot, developed by IEOR professor Ken Goldberg and his team, practiced by using virtual objects in a simulated world, showing how machine learning and the cloud could revolutionize manual work.

A new ferroelectric material developed at Berkeley Lab

Scientists help thin-film ferroelectrics go extreme

05/13/17 Berkeley Lab — Lane Martin, associate professor of materials science and engineering and faculty scientist at Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division, has created the first-ever polarization gradient in a thin film, greatly expanding the range of functional temperatures for ferroelectrics, a key material used in a variety of everyday applications.

Small wonder

05/01/17 — Researchers have created the world's smallest transistor, a development that could advance the performance and efficiency of electronics.

Jungiao Wu and graduate students in the lab

The rule-breaker

05/01/17 — Professor of materials science and engineering Junqiao Wu has identified an outlier in the materials world: Vanadium dioxide can conduct electricity without conducting heat.

Reading minds

05/01/17 — The BioSENSE Lab has created a “pass-thought” reader to authenticate wearers by reading their brainwaves.

Boosting robotics in manufacturing

05/01/17 — The Department of Defense announced a $253 million Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Innovation hub that partners with Berkeley Engineering.

Smart moves: California’s next-gen infrastructure

05/01/17 — Next-generation technologies are disrupting traditional ideas of infrastructure, which will soon be laced with sensor networks, machine learning and artificial intelligence to optimize efficiency, resiliency and sustainability.

3-D printers and the future of tissue engineering

04/27/17 Medium — The Fung Institute sat down with mechanical engineering professor Grace O'Connell to discuss her research into engineering complex tissues and cartilage with the help of a 3-D printer.

Image alchemist Alexei Efros wins ACM computing prize

04/18/17 ACM — The Association for Computing Machinery has awarded its 2016 Prize in Computing to EECS professor Alexei Efros "for groundbreaking data-driven approaches to computer graphics and computer vision."

Shoe-string theory

04/12/17 — A new study by Berkeley mechanical engineers finally shows why shoelaces keep coming untied.

NSF’s $11M to fund natural hazards SimCenter

04/05/17 CITRIS — Structural engineering professor Stephen Mahin will lead a new center for computational modeling and simulation of the effects of natural hazards on the built environment, supported by a five-year, $10.9-million grant from the National Science Foundation.

In a sample of blood, researchers probe for cancer clues

03/23/17 — Berkeley bioengineers, led by Amy Herr, have made an important step toward liquid biopsy technology, which could allow patients to monitor cancer therapy through a simple blood draw.

Shell and Berkeley officials at signing ceremony

EBI signs partnership with Shell to fund energy tech research

03/15/17 — UC Berkeley's Energy Biosciences Institute has entered into a five-year, multimillion dollar research agreement with Shell International Exploration and Production Inc. to fund research that meets the growing demand for energy in ways that are economically, environmentally and socially responsible.

A “VAST” step forward in cybersecurity

03/15/17 Berkeley Research — Working closely with cybersecurity experts at Berkeley Lab, CS professor Vern Paxson and postdoc researcher Matthias Vallentin are developing VAST, a system to help forensic analysts pinpoint how much of an organization's computer network has been compromised - and where.

Allen Yang at the Center for Augmented Cognition

Gift from virtual reality pioneer Immerex will create AR/VR lab at Berkeley

03/14/17 — A gift from the entertainment virtual reality company Immerex will outfit a new lab for Berkeley's accelerating work in AR/VR, from training doctors to enhancing artistic performances.

Berkeley engineers join $24 million push for craniofacial repair therapies

03/09/17 — UC Berkeley is part of a California-based, six-university consortium that has been awarded $12 million by the National Institutes of Health to develop strategies for treating craniofacial defects, which affect millions of Americans.

MucoJet system for delivering vaccine inside the mouth

Oral delivery system could make vaccinations needle-free

03/08/17 — Patients could one day self-administer vaccines using a needleless, pill-sized technology that releases a stream of vaccine inside the mouth, according to a proof-of-concept study conducted by Berkeley bioengineering researchers.

Sweating it out for science

03/01/17 Berkeley Research — In a Cory Hall lab converted into a high-tech mini-fitness center, researchers led by Bakar fellow and Berkeley Engineering professor Ali Javey trace the metabolic changes experienced by runners in real time, using a substance any good workout produces: sweat.