Biosciences News

ALD for Biosciences Paul Adams has appointed Katy Christiansen to the role of Area Deputy for Science following a national search. Christiansen, who has served as Interim Area Deputy since 2021, will work with Adams to support the Biosciences Area’s scientific mission and be responsible for helping to plan and execute our long-range strategy.

Senior Scientist Junko Yano has been named Director of the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division. Over her 22-year career at Berkeley Lab, Yano has become known for her research in natural and artificial photosynthetic systems. She will continue to be a co-principal investigator in the DOE-funded Energy Innovation Hub, the Liquid Sunlight Alliance (LiSA), and the Center for Electrochemical Dynamics and Reactions on Surface (CEDARS), a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center.

The Agile BioFoundry (ABF) hosted its 2023 Industry Listening Day on July 31, 2023. ABF staff shared updates on the consortium’s latest research, partnership opportunities, and the ABF’s future direction. 

The event provided an opportunity for 50+ attendees from industry and academia to provide feedback on ABF’s activities and suggestions on how it can better serve the biomanufacturing community.

The scientific and national security communities have long shared an unmet need for a tool capable of quickly and reliably distinguishing genetically modified organisms from naturally occurring ones. Over the course of a six-year program funded by the United States Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), several techniques were developed and refined. Biosciences Area researchers led testing and evaluation of these technologies, designing and producing biological samples of increasing complexity to assess how well the tools performed.

Stanford researchers have used cryogenic 3D imaging at the National Center for X-ray Tomography (NCXT) to identify a new pathway for clearing misfolded proteins from cells. This work presents a potential therapy target for age-related disorders like Alzheimer, Parkinson, and Huntington Diseases.