News

Scientists use molecular ‘lock and key’ for potential control of GMOs

06/17/15 — UC Berkeley bioengineers have developed an easy way to put bacteria under a molecular lock and key in order to contain its accidental spread. The method shows promise as a practical method of biocontainment to safeguard advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering.

Happy National Week of Making

06/17/15 — Berkeley engineers attended the National Maker Faire in Washington, DC and got the chance to meet other engineers, makers and government officials while showcasing recent projects.

Enhanced microscopic resolution for improved diagnostics

06/17/15 — Researchers in the Waller Lab aim to make diagnosing diseases easier by algorithmically boosting the power of ordinary optical devices.

More women in engineering – what’s working?

06/17/15 — From Dean Sastry: In order to increase the representation of women in engineering, we are moving beyond good intentions with proven strategies for sustaining their interest and fostering leadership.

Designer of scrolling mouse and Oculus Rift funds design innovation

06/16/15 — Prolific inventor and designer Jack McCauley (EECS '86) has made a $2.5-million gift to establish the McCauley Family Fund in Design Innovation, which will support programs within the Jacobs Institute.

Google engineer Eve Andersson working to empower people with disabilities

06/10/15 EFE/Fox News Latino — Eve Andersson (M.S.'98 ME) leads the Google team tasked with developing new products for the disabled, and dreams of helping those with disabilities "work at whatever they want, study what they like, travel wherever they wish, feel free and empowered."

Teaching robots to be moral

06/10/15 California magazine — As robots and other machines controlled by artificial intelligence are getting more sophisticated and more widely used, calls have gone out to try to instill morals in their decision-making pathways. But how? Computer science professor Stuart Russell weighs in.

The mapping backpack

06/08/15 — Berkeley engineers are building a backpack equipped with high-tech cameras and scanners that is capable of sensing and mapping indoor spaces. The backpack's potential applications include energy audits, search and rescue situations and more.

Bay-Area startup spins lab-grown silk

06/04/15 Bloomberg Business — David Breslauer (Ph.D'10 BioE) is the chief scientific officer of Bolt Threads, a startup company developing technology to genetically modify yeast to produce silk-like proteins - a potentially revolutionary development for the apparel industry.

Eric Brewer and graduate student Achintya Maduri inspect solar panels

Power to the people

06/01/15 Berkeley Research — Computer science professor Eric Brewer and the students in his cross-departmental Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions (TIER) program are tackling power shortages in Africa, blindness in India, and other challenges where technology can make a major impact in the developing world.

Beyond drone warfare: Prof warns of ‘automated killing machines’

05/28/15 — In an op-ed piece for the science journal Nature, Stuart Russell, an expert in artificial intelligence, outlines the debate over the use of AI weapons systems, and notes widespread agreement on the need for “meaningful human control” over targeting and engagement decisions. “Unfortunately,” he adds, “the meaning of ‘meaningful' is still to be determined."

Two engineering faculty named Bakar Fellows

05/28/15 — Computer science professors Pieter Abbeel and Michael Lustig are now members of the Bakar Fellows Program, which is designed to translate research discoveries to marketable ventures. The fellows will receive up to five years of funding to help them introduce and scale new technologies that are likely to stimulate California's economy.

Robotic coackroach launching a bird-like robot

Robotic cockroaches are perfect tiny aircraft carriers for robotic birds

05/27/15 Gizmodo — Researchers in the Biomimetic Millisystems Lab created a robot system capable of running and flying by combining their VelociRoACH (a ground-based robot modeled after a cockroach) with the H2 Bird ornithopter (a birdlike robot).

New ‘deep learning’ technique enables robot mastery of skills via trial and error

05/22/15 — UC Berkeley researchers have developed algorithms that enable robots to learn motor tasks through trial and error using a process that more closely approximates the way humans learn, marking a major milestone in the field of artificial intelligence.

Robott scientists help BRETT learn new tasks

New approach trains robots to match human dexterity and speed

05/22/15 New York Times — Linking several powerful software techniques, as Berkeley engineers have done with BRETT (Berkeley Robot for the Elimination of Tedious Tasks), makes it possible for a robot to learn tasks rapidly with a relatively little training.

Robots are really bad at folding towels

05/20/15 NPR — Seven years ago, Berkeley researcher Pieter Abbeel set out on a quest: to teach a robot how to fold laundry. This proved to be a remarkably difficult task - and the difficulty of the task illuminates some key things about the limits of machines. See story and hear four-minute podcast.

How smart is today’s artificial intelligence?

05/20/15 PBS News Hour — How far away are we from making intelligent machines that actually have minds of their own? Berkeley researchers Stuart Russell and Pieter Abbeel weigh in on this nine-minute PBS News Hour segment, along with Elon Musk and Google's Ray Kurzweil.

A way to brew morphine raises concerns over regulation

05/20/15 New York Times — A fermentation process that produces heroin's raw ingredient has stirred debate over whether the drug trafficking trade could benefit more than the pharmaceutical industry.

Engineering graduate waving as she crosses the stage

Congratulations graduates!

05/18/15 — In case you missed it: Watch the 2015 commencement ceremonies.

Discovery paves way for homebrewed drugs, prompts call for regulation

05/18/15 — Research led by Berkeley bioengineers has completed key steps needed to turn sugar-fed yeast into a microbial factory for producing therapeutic drugs. But because the work could lead to home-brewing of opiates and other controlled substances, the researchers warn that regulators and law enforcement need to pay attention, too.