Biosciences News

Through deep sequencing of the model grass green foxtail (Setaria viridis), researchers pinpointed a gene critical for the development of flowers that give rise to the grain. Using this information, a homologous gene in maize was identified as playing a similar role highlighting the utility of S. viridis as a model crop. Read the JGI Science Highlight.

Biosciences Area researchers and staff participated at the annual East Bay STEM Career Awareness Day on April 27, 2017, at Wareham Development’s Aquatic Park Center in West Berkeley, home to Biosciences Operations @ Berkeley and several Area research groups.

The event was led by Cal State University East Bay’s Institute for STEM Education in partnership with local businesses and organizations, and was aimed at providing insight into potential STEM careers and educational opportunities in the region. Three hundred high school students from Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond engaged in activities around this year’s theme:, “What problem(s) are you trying to solve?” Students had the opportunity to network with a variety of STEM professionals during tours, a working lunch and exhibitor tabling.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today 38 new National Laboratory collaborations with small businesses through its Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot. In this third round the following National Laboratories are included: Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and Savannah River National Laboratory.

Berkeley Lab will collaborate with four small businesses. One of them is Kalion Inc. based in Milton, Massachusetts who will use the Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Demonstration Unit’s capabilities. ABPDU and Kalion’s goal is to reach full manufacturing-scale production of glucaric acid and glucuronic acid by creating a manufacturing-ready production strain and then scaling up that strain to generate an appropriate process. The availability of such a process will expand the food, pharma, and polymer applications requiring a purity of more than 99 percent. Read more in the Berkeley Lab Newscenter.

Among the benefits of attending the University of California is the chance for undergrads to conduct research alongside world-renowned faculty. Biosciences’ Rasha Anayah and undergraduate student interning at JBEI (Biological Systems & Engineering Division), who is exploring how to build better biofuels, was one of several undergrads who recently spoke at a forum on UC research opportunities. Read more in the UC Newsroom.

John Kuriyan, senior faculty biologist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, was named the recipient of The Protein Society 2017 Stein and Moore Award. With this award, Kuriyan is being recognized for his scientific discoveries that have led to understanding the regulation of eukaryotic cell signaling and the phenomenon of processivity in DNA repair.