UC Berkeley

🔗 Visit the link to learn more about how Berkeley research is impacting the world. berkeley.edu/research-impact

While the team’s primary goal is to save the source of chocolate for future generations, they hope their work also builds public support for genetic engineering of crops: The same methods that they are now using to save cacao could also be applied to staple foods facing similar threats.

At Berkeley’s @innovativegenomics.bsky.social, Staskawicz and his colleague Myeong-Je Cho are working toward solutions, using CRISPR gene-editing technology to create cacao plants resistant to Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus and other diseases.

The world’s cacao crops, the majority of which are grown in the West African countries of Ghana and Côte D’Ivoire, are under siege from the combined threats of climate change and disease.

Reductions in supply last year made cacao a more lucrative commodity than bitcoin.

A future without chocolate seems almost unimaginable. But according to UC Berkeley’s Brian Staskawicz, it is a very real possibility.

Learn more in this thread.🧵

Did the first animal look like a sponge or a comb jelly? The debate continues. - Berkeley News Two years ago, a novel analysis by UC Berkeley researchers pointed to comb jellies as the root of the animal tree of life. Another Berkeley group now says it’s sponges.

Two years ago, a novel analysis by UC Berkeley researchers pointed to comb jellies as the root of the animal tree of life. Another Berkeley group now says it’s sponges. news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/19/d...

Prescribed burning helps store forest carbon in big, fire-resistant trees - Berkeley News A two decade long experiment in the Sierra Nevada found that regular prescribed burns promote carbon sequestration in live trees and plants, maintaining forests’ long-term ability to store carbon whil...

A two decade long experiment in the Sierra Nevada found that regular prescribed burns promote carbon sequestration in live trees and plants, maintaining forests’ long-term ability to store carbon while also reducing wildfire hazard. news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/17/p...

How crowdsourcing and phone cameras could help bring fallen soldiers home - Berkeley News A UC Berkeley archaeologist is building a reference system that can expedite recovery of the remains of service members killed in World War II.

Tens of thousands of U.S. veterans never made it home. This UC Berkeley archaeologist is working to speed up efforts to recover them. news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/07/h...

23 boxes and a suitcase full of tapes: How a linguist's lifelong work is shaping Indigenous language today - Berkeley News Collections at UC Berkeley's California Language Archive help keep Indigenous languages alive. This is the story of one of them.

For decades, Sally McLendon worked with Indigenous communities to document and learn about their languages. After her death, her notes and tapes were transported to the California Language Archive on campus, where they are accessible for others to learn from. news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/06/2...

UC Berkeley college access program serving 1,500 students cut over 'equity' reference - Berkeley News The cuts to Educational Talent Search — a federal TRIO program — jeopardize Berkeley's work that for decades has helped Bay Area teens navigate their college and career options.

Cuts to UC Berkeley’s Educational Talent Search — a federal TRIO program — jeopardize work that for decades has helped Bay Area teens navigate their college and career options. news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/03/u...

Finch chirps are more than mindless chatter. They actually convey meaning. - Berkeley News A UC Berkeley study shows that when zebra finches hear the call of another zebra finch, they have a mental representation of its meaning — they understand what they're hearing.

A study from UC Berkeley neuroscientists shows that when zebra finches hear the call of another zebra finch, they have a mental representation of its meaning — categorizing calls similar to how humans hear and group them. news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/04/f...

Then / Now / Next: Actor John Cho on finding independence and identity at UC Berkeley - Berkeley News How Berkeley changed everything — from landing his first role to discovering what it means to be Asian American.

How Berkeley changed everything for John Cho — from landing his first role to discovering what it means to be Asian American. news.berkeley.edu/2025/11/04/t...

Galen Sheely, a postdoctoral fellow whose research focuses on election administration, redistricting and democratic institutions, answers five questions on Prop 50 and California’s redistricting debate with @goldmanschool.bsky.social. gspp.berkeley.edu/research-and...

101 in 101 - YouTube UC Berkeley professors and researchers are challenged to explain the "101" of their field of study in only 101 seconds.

Shih’s work is primarily in synthetic plant biology, which is striving to create therapeutic compounds, better nutrition and even new forms of fuel through new biological understanding. 

For more 101-second explainers from UC Berkeley experts, visit bit.ly/4bMwNlL

There’s a famous quote attributed to the eminent scientist Richard Feynman: “What I cannot create, I do not understand.” 

Those eight words are a driving force for Patrick Shih, an associate professor of Plant and Microbial Biology at UC Berkeley.

A new study from Berkeley researchers provides evidence that chimpanzees can rationally revise their beliefs when presented with new information. ls.berkeley.edu/news/new-psy...

Parasitic worms rely on static electricity to find prey in midair - Berkeley News Nematodes that leap from the ground to infect flies need the help of a static electrical charge to land on their host.

A new study by UC Berkeley and Emory University biologists and physicists suggests that parasitic worms rely on static electricity to find prey in midair. news.berkeley.edu/2025/10/29/p...

"Berkeley isn't just a name; it's a promise," Lyons said. "It's the idea that no matter where you come from, you can shape what comes next."

🔗 Find your copy of the book at the link: iande.berkeley.edu/StartupCampus

This is the story of UC Berkeley’s innovation and entrepreneurship — how fundamental research and translational innovation aren't competing priorities but complements. How the #1 public university lifts students up the economic ladder while generating breakthrough discoveries that change the world.

Two Nobel Prizes in one week. Research in chemistry, physics, AI and engineering that is regularly inspiring startups to solve the world’s most pressing problems. UC Berkeley ranked No. 1 for three straight years in startups founded, surpassing Stanford, Harvard and MIT.

Data shows that higher education is still worth it. The average @uofcalifornia.bsky.social bachelor’s degree holder earns about $125,000 a year. But students who go on to pursue a graduate degree make even more, with UC Berkeley standing out in several categories.

Berkeley alums develop at-home robotic rehabilitation device - Berkeley Engineering ATDev co-founders advance new possibilities for assistive technologies

Alumni Todd Roberts and Owen Kent first developed Reflex, their robotic rehabilitation device, in a UC Berkeley course. Now, six years later, they’re launching it through their company, ATDev, which aims to bring high-quality rehabilitation into the home. engineering.berkeley.edu/news/2025/10...

"Science is an absolute essential part of an enlightened society and building a robust society that improves the quality of life for its people... Without funding, you can't do science. Science costs money. And it's an investment in our future."

berkeley.edu/research-impact

After winning the Nobel Prize, Yaghi was clear about the role of accessible education: “This recognition is really a testament to the power of the public school system in the U.S.” He also said federal grants directly led to the work that is changing the planet today.

Omar Yaghi grew up in Amman, Jordan, where he was responsible for collecting fresh drinking water. "I learned that water is precious," he said.

Those experiences laid the foundation for his work developing MOFs that have revolutionized chemistry, and earned him the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The secret lives of violins — and the Berkeley scholar who uncovers them - Berkeley News As the curator of UC Berkeley’s Salz Collection of Stringed Instruments, Carla Shapreau traces the rich histories of treasured, centuries-old violins and connects them to the next generation of musici...

As the curator of UC Berkeley’s Salz Collection of Stringed Instruments, Carla Shapreau traces the rich histories of treasured, centuries-old violins and connects them to the next generation of musicians. news.berkeley.edu/2025/10/17/t...

At Philomathia Day last week, @berkeleyhaas.bsky.social Professor Jonathan Weigel was honored as the 2025 Philomathia Prize recipient.

His research and work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo aims to reimagine state building in developing countries.

Congratulations, Professor Weigel!

Most of Wine Country's agricultural workers have been exposed to wildfires, new survey finds - Berkeley News By partnering with the community, UC Berkeley researchers conducted a sweeping survey of California farmworkers on their experience working during wildfires.

By partnering with the community, UC Berkeley researchers conducted a sweeping survey of California farmworkers on their experience working during wildfires. news.berkeley.edu/2025/10/20/m...

101 in 101 - YouTube UC Berkeley professors and researchers are challenged to explain the "101" of their field of study in only 101 seconds.

As he explains in this 101 in 101 video, foreign aid often benefits the poorest, but it can also protect wealthier countries. Watch to learn more about Miguel and CEGA’s work and scholarship to alleviate global poverty. 

🔗 For more explainers from our experts, visit bit.ly/4bMwNlL

Edward Miguel, the son of immigrants from Uruguay and Poland, knew early on that his life in the U.S. was different from his family around the world. 

As faculty co-director of @cega-uc.bsky.social and a professor of economics, he’s figuring out how to improve the lives the poorest people on earth.