We use a multi-disciplinary, team approach to solve society’s biggest challenges with biological solutions. At the core of our work, we transform biological research to enable new discoveries in energy, environmental, and health research.
Our Plan
The Biosciences 10-year Strategic Plan (2024–2034) represents the research, technology, and organizational stewardship strategic framework of the Area. Through it, we aim to convey our enthusiasm for the future of our research to our stakeholders and the public. The plan was made through an inclusive process accessible to all of Biosciences’ nearly 1,000 staff.
Our researchers and engineers are working closely to solve technical problems and research questions in tandem. We develop the technologies that are the most vital to foster discovery, onsite. The research strategies on the matrix can be thought of as test beds for new technology development.
Our Progress
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Unraveling the Mysteries of DNA Damage in the Brain
Read more: Unraveling the Mysteries of DNA Damage in the BrainA first-of-its-kind study led by Cynthia McMurray and Aris Polyzos in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division integrated cell type– and brain region–specific features of DNA repair in normal brains, setting a benchmark for the field. Their results, recently published in Nature Communications, suggest that DNA damage itself serves as the checkpoint, limiting…
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Sequencing the Mysterious Microbes of the San Francisco Estuary
Read more: Sequencing the Mysterious Microbes of the San Francisco EstuaryIn a new study, Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology (EGSB) Division research scientist Lauren Lui presents the first steps of her ambitious plan to catalogue the complete genomes of the microbial life found in the San Francisco Estuary near the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Using the latest sequencing technology, Lui aims to fill in a…
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Transforming Plants into Biofuels and Bioproducts
Read more: Transforming Plants into Biofuels and BioproductsNew research by a team that includes scientists from Biosciences shows that some simple changes to Agrobacterium tumefaciens can significantly improve the efficiency of introducing DNA into a genome, a process known as transformation.
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ABF, ABPDU Scale up Acrylic Acid Precursor with Industrial Microbes
Read more: ABF, ABPDU Scale up Acrylic Acid Precursor with Industrial MicrobesResearchers at the Agile BioFoundry (ABF) and the Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit (ABPDU), have successfully scaled up a bio-based process that converts ethanol into a valuable precursor for consumer products, such as paints, coatings, and diapers. The researchers worked with industry partner, Industrial Microbes, to develop the process.
