The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which was founded in 1848 and is the world’s largest general scientific society, announced that 564 of its members—among them four scientists at Berkeley Lab—have been elected Fellows as part of the 2021 class. This lifetime honor, which follows a nomination and review process, recognizes scientists, engineers, and innovators for their distinguished achievements toward the advancement or applications of science.
The two newly named Fellows from the Biosciences Area are: Eva Nogales, a senior faculty scientist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division and professor of biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology at UC Berkeley; and Scott Baker an affiliate with the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) and Functional and Systems Biology group lead at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
A renowned expert in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) technology and image analysis, Nogales was elected for her work elucidating the molecular function of complex cellular machines by direct visualization of their architecture, functional states, and regulatory interactions. Her research focuses on regulatory mechanisms underlying gene expression and cytoskeleton self-assembly during cell division.
Baker, who co-led development of the ongoing Fungal Genomics Program at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), was elected for his significant contributions to fungal biotechnology, genomics, and genetics—particularly with respect to metabolite production, enzyme secretion, and cell morphology. His research involves developing techniques for increasing and improving biomanufacturing of fungal enzymes that break down lignin, an important step toward the production of low-cost carbon neutral biofuels.
Read more in the Berkeley Lab News Center.
