Biosciences Area

Jay Keasling to receive AIChE’s Doing a World of Good Medal

Jay Keasling, JBEI’s chief executive officer, will be awarded the Doing a World of Good Medal by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) at their annual meeting on Nov. 10. 

The Doing a World of Good Medal recognizes the achievements of an engineer whose work has had a positive impact on society and the world. Keasling, a pioneer of synthetic biology, will be recognized for his contributions to resource sustainability and human welfare, including a method for the inexpensive production of artemisinin, an antimalarial medicine. The award also recognizes his commitment to fostering secure and inclusive educational and working environments for people of all backgrounds.

Mary Maxon New Head of Lambda Alliance ERG

Jay Keasling and Mary Maxon

Biosciences Area Assistant Lab Director Mary Maxon is the new executive sponsor of the Lambda Alliance Employee Resource Group which represents LGBTQ employees and their allies at the Lab. She replaces Jay Keasling, CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute, who was the founding executive sponsor.

For more information, or to join the Lambda Alliance ERG, please contact ERG Co-Chairs Daniel Gens (dygens@lbl.gov) or Kelliane Parker-Lam (kparkerlam@lbl.gov).

For more information about the Lambda Alliance Employee Activity Association: Lambda Alliance @ LBL

 

Brewing Up Cannabinoids in Yeast

Jay Keasling, a professor in the departments of bioengineering and of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UC Berkeley who also holds a senior faculty scientist position at Berkeley Lab, led a team that genetically modified brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to produce cannabinoids via biosynthesis. The authors introduced cannabis genes into the yeast’s metabolic pathways to produce cannabinoid precursor molecules, such as olivetolic acid, from the simple sugar galactose. From olivetolic acid, the yeast was able to produce the key cannabinoid cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), which could in turn be used to produce Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA).

Biosciences Area Cohosts Conference on Growing the Circular Bioeconomy

The Biosciences Area recently joined the California Air Resources Board, UC Berkeley, and UC’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources in co-hosting the California Bioresources Economy Summit, aimed at harnessing biotechnology to convert California waste streams from farms, forests, and landfills into valuable low-carbon fuels and products.

Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences Mary MaxonAssociate Laboratory Director for Biosciences Mary Maxon keynoted the two-day conference as it kicked off January 29 at the David Brower Center in Berkeley. In her presentation, Maxon noted that expansion of the $370 billion per year U.S. bioeconomy could create more than 1 million jobs while reducing annual carbon emissions by up to 450 million tons.

Biosciences Scientists Featured in The New Yorker

Biosciences scientists Héctor García Martín, Jay Keasling, and Jill Banfield (whose primary affiliation is with the Earth & Environmental Sciences Area) were mentioned an article by Amia Srinivasan entitled “What Termites Can Teach Us” published in The New Yorker. Read the article.

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