Bioengineering

Traditionally, fluorescence microscopes (blue images) are used to image tumors. A new image sensor (purple images) could do the same, less invasively.

Tiny sensor aims to monitor tumors in real time

04/19/24 — IEEE Spectrum: Novel device could potentially provide a better alternative to biopsies

Vayu Hill-Maini is working to unlock the richly diverse genomes of fungi to engineer them into meat alternatives. Here, he holds petri dishes of growing fungi; the one on the left is the original mold, the right has been engineered using the team

It’s hearty, it’s meaty, it’s mold

03/14/24 — Berkeley Lab: Bioengineers are hacking the genome of fungi for smart foods of the future

Photo of Egyptian fruit bat clinging to branch. A new study finds that the part of bats’ brains that controls vocalizations has the same neural and genetic machinery as the part of the human brain that controls speech, making bats ideal candidates for understanding speech development and pathology.

What bats can teach us about the evolution of human speech

02/29/24 — Study shows how bats may be ideal candidates for understanding human speech development and pathology

Photo of man grasping his abdominal area in pain with outline of colon superimposed on the area.

Researchers make advances toward more effective IBD therapies

02/01/24 — New regenerative medicine technique may repair and protect the colon

Side-by-side photos of Ashok Gadgil (left), a distinguished professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering, and Boris Rubinsky, a professor of bioengineering and mechanical engineering.

Two UC Berkeley engineers elected to the National Academy of Inventors

12/12/23 — Ashok Gadgil and Boris Rubinsky receive highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors

The greening of jeans

11/06/23 — Huue, a company co-founded by alum Tammy Hsu, uses biotechnology to create environmentally friendly dyes for denim.

A cool way to save coral

11/06/23 — Technology developed by Berkeley engineers has been used to cryopreserve and revive entire coral fragments.

Photo of a nanoscale 3D printing benchmarking model called a "3DBenchy" showcases how a new 3D printing technique enabled researchers to embed nitrogen vacancy centers in complex, microscale 3D structures.

Researchers demonstrate new 3D printing technique for quantum sensors

10/31/23 — Innovation may lead to novel applications in precision measurement, biological imaging and environmental monitoring

A black graphic that features eight headshots of Siebel Scholars.

Eight students honored as Siebel Scholars

10/11/23 — Siebel Scholars Foundation announces class of 2024 that will receive $35,000 grants to fund last year of study

Berkeley alum creating a greener future for bluejeans

09/28/23 — Tammy Hsu (Ph.D.’19 BioE) uses her engineering know-how to develop eco-friendly denim dye

Schematic portraying heat applied to engineered viruses and the electric charge they emit.

Researchers demonstrate heat-induced pyroelectricity in viruses

09/25/23 — Discovery may pave the way for new bio-inspired devices

Iain Clark selected as Innovation Investigator by Arc Institute

09/20/23 — Berkeley Engineering professor awarded $1M to pursue “curiosity-driven” research

Sanjam Garg, Ronald Fearing and Phillip Messersmith

Three Berkeley Engineering professors selected for Bakar Fellows Spark Awards

08/31/23 Berkeley News — Awards will provide support for innovative research in cryptography, robotics and medicine

Photo of highly social Egyptian fruit bats in a tightly clustered group.

Bat study reveals how the brain is wired for collective behavior

08/30/23 Berkeley News — Berkeley News: Berkeley engineers find that the same neurons that help bats navigate through space may also help them navigate collective social environments

Novel brain implant helps paralyzed woman speak using a digital avatar

08/23/23 — Berkeley engineers explain how advances in AI could help restore natural communication

Photo of various coral species living in the ocean.

Cryotechnology developed by Berkeley engineers unlocks new approach to coral preservation

08/23/23 — Smithsonian: Successfully cooling and thawing coral fragments key to global conservation milestone for vanishing coral reefs

Forever young

05/17/23 — Does the secret to vitality lie within the bloodstream? Scientists at the Conboy lab have identified crucial mechanisms underlying the aging process.

Illustration of words in thought cloud superimposed over silhouette of head

Speak and spell

05/17/23 — A new brain-computer interface allows users to silently spell out words in real time with near-perfect accuracy.

Photo of an artistic rendering of the brain, created using wire and light.

New Neurotech Collider Lab to harness interdisciplinary synergy for breakthrough innovations

04/17/23 BBH — BBH: The Bakar BioEnginuity Hub and Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology are partnering to create a new interdisciplinary space for world-changing breakthroughs in neurotech

Image of heteropolymers designed to mimic the properties of natural proteins.

Berkeley engineers develop synthetic polymers that mimic the body’s natural proteins

03/20/23 — Alternative polymers work as well as real proteins and are easier to synthesize, a possible game-changer for biomedical applications