@biosci.lbl.gov
Official account of the Biosciences Area of @BerkeleyLab Solving challenges in energy, environment, health, and biomanufacturing. Re-post ≠ Endorsement
Ruiwen Hu, a postdoc in #BioEGSB, attended #LiNo25 in #Chemistry as part of the UC President’s annual fellowship program. The event “offered a rare opportunity to engage directly with some of the world’s foremost scientific minds," including Nobel Laureate Moungi Bawendi (pictured with Hu).
05.08.2025 17:02 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Take a few minutes to watch @jgi.doe.gov postdoc Yumary Vasquez talk abt "going viral" in a BIG way at the National Lab SLAM last March. Learn how infections from giant viruses can impact our water, air, soil, even the gut microbiome!
youtu.be/vDgS4gGUwvE?...
#FlashbackFriday @berkeleylab.lbl.gov
It's fascinating to watch the @berkeleylab.lbl.gov riggers at work in the @als.lbl.gov!
01.08.2025 17:50 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A card with two illustrated scientists that reads, "We are hiring! Join #TeamBioSci Learn more at go.lbl.gov/bioscijobs."
Join #TeamBioSci & help us bring science solutions to the world at @berkeleylab.lbl.gov!
We are #hiring an Advanced Analysis Manager & Research Associate Principal at @jgi.doe.gov, DevOps Software Engineer at @kbase.us & a computational postdoc for #cryoEM in #BioMBIB.
go.lbl.gov/bioscijobs
This week on the pod 🔊
🌊 The deepest ecosystem ever discovered
🦠 How infections could awaken dormant cancer
go.nature.com/4mngShS
A molecular rendering of the engineered graft of IL-10 with an antibody (GFT-IL10M). Structural analysis of GFT-IL10M using x-ray crystallography at the ALS provided insight into its improved anti-inflammatory properties. The schematic illustrates that the designed biotherapeutic minimized pro-inflammatory signaling observed in wild-type IL-10. (Credit: Michael DiDonato/Novartis Biomedical Research)
Researchers from Novartis Biomedical Research used a #BioMBIB -run beamline at the @als.lbl.gov to confirm the structure of an engineered immune system protein that could open new opportunities to treat inflammatory bowel disease.
go.lbl.gov/atg38j
#IBD #AcceleratingScience @berkeleylab.lbl.gov
Congratulations to this year's cohort for completing their STEM programs at @berkeleylab.lbl.gov. These young minds will be at the forefront of advancing scientific research. Thanks to Dr. Faith Dukes, Director of K-12 STEM Education Programs, for making this possible.
25.07.2025 23:42 — 👍 8 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
A picture of Rene Perrier in an office setting with a festive background, a note about his 21+ years of service, and text that reads: Rene joined Berkeley Lab in 2004 as a software engineer at the Joint Genome Institute. He developed web applications related to sequencing bioenergy-relevant organisms and annotating microbial genomes.
Today we wrap up our retiree celebration by wishing Rene Perrier a fond farewell after 21+ years of service on #TeamBioSci at @berkeleylab.lbl.gov. He developed web applications to help scientists around the world access the awesome resources of the @jgi.doe.gov. Congratulations, Rene! 🙌 🎉
25.07.2025 21:19 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
A festive background with Lisa Kegg's picture, a note that she had 25 years of service and this text: Lisa joined the Joint Genome lnstitute (JGI) in 1999 as a sequencing manager through Livermore Lab, transferring to Berkeley Lab in 2008 and to JGI Ops in 2010. She was instrumental in coordinating the move into the Integrative Genomics Building and sourcing supplies and setting up disinfecting stations during the COVID pandemic.
Congratulations to Lisa Kegg on her retirement! She started at the @jgi.doe.gov in 1999 through Livermore National Lab and transferred to @berkeleylab.lbl.gov nine years later. She has been a key member of the JGI Operations team since 2010. Thanks for supporting science on #TeamBioSci, Lisa!
24.07.2025 23:51 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A photo of Igor Ratnere on a festive background, a note about his 20+ years of service, and this text about his time at the Lab: Igor joined Berkeley Lab in 2004 as a software engineer at the Joint Genome Institute. He developed a wide range of biological software and specialized genomic databases using relational database management systems, as well as novel large-scale algorithms and associated software for DNA sequence analysis.
Woot! 🙌 The retiree celebration continues! 🙌
Igor Ratnere has retired from @berkeleylab.lbl.gov with more than 20 years of service. Igor was a software engineer at the @jgi.doe.gov and he developed biological software and hashtag#genomics databases. 🧬
#TeamBioSci wishes you all the best! 🎉
Photo of Lisa Simirenko on a festive background with text noting her name, 23+ years of service and this inscription: Lisa joined Berkeley Lab in 2001 and moved to the Joint Genome Institute in 2013. She's had a critical role in the synthetic biology group, developing software applications to address challenges including biosecurity, export control, synthetic construct design and assembly tracking, guide RNA design, and sequence validation pipelines.
Congratulations to Lisa Simirenko on her retirement from @berkeleylab.lbl.gov! She was at the Lab for over 23 years, the last 12 of them on #TeamBioSci in the synthetic biology group at the @jgi.doe.gov. Best of luck in your next chapter, Lisa!
22.07.2025 21:48 — 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
A picture of Katherine with notes about her 15 years of service at Berkeley Lab.
This week, we are celebrating some of our #TeamBioSci retirees!
Katherine Schall worked in many parts of @berkeleylab.lbl.gov over 15 years. She was with the #ABPDU from its start in 2011. Before that, she worked in HR, @lbnlengineering.bsky.social & the @als.lbl.gov. Congratulations, Katherine!
Our lab is hunting a fast-growing strain of Fomitopsis betulina. Anyone have any leads? @msafungi.bsky.social #FungiFriday
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomitop...
James Fraser, with graying hair and short beard wearing two black shirts and jeans, in front of a curtain holding the award. He is flanked by a man with very little hair wearing a light blue dress shirt and dress pants and and a woman with shoulder-length blond hair and glasses wearing a black top and predominantly red and orange multi-colored and patterned scarf.
Congrats to #BioMBIB faculty scientist James Fraser! He received the Carl Brändén Award during the #PS39 @proteinsociety.bsky.social meeting for outstanding contributions to #ProteinScience that span research, education & service.
@fraserlab.com @berkeleylab.lbl.gov @ucsfmedicine.bsky.social
A headshot of Graham Fleming, senior faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab's Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, and his quote, "Photosystem II doesn't just collect sunlight––it makes incredibly smart decisions about what to do with that energy. We've uncovered how nature balances two goals: getting the most from every photo while also protecting itself from too much light."
Photosystem II produces the air we breathe and protects the plant from too much energy. Graham Fleming & his team have pieced together how energy moves through this complex system. Their work has big implications for #bioenergy and #agriculture.
👉 go.lbl.gov/PSII
#BioMBIB @berkeleylab.lbl.gov
For more @molecularfoundry.lbl.gov enabled science, check out work by Corie Ralston (#BioMBIB) on the FLASH effect, an emerging frontier in radiation oncology, and Cheryl Kerfeld (#BioEGSB) on adapting nature’s approach to compartmentalizing biochemical reactions: go.lbl.gov/FLASH; go.lbl.gov/CCBC
14.07.2025 17:50 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
New research on range extenders, or REX genetic enhancer elements, from @ucirvine.bsky.social, #BioEGSB scientists @berkeleylab.lbl.gov & international collaborators! These bits of DNA that regulate gene expression allow enhancers to work far away from their target.
www.bio.uci.edu/new-discover...
Picture of MBIB senior scientist Vittal Yachandra and his quote from the press release overlaid on a picture from the study, "Femtosecond laser pulses let us study atomic bonds breaking and forming. Now we’re going inside to look at not just the making or breaking of a bond, but what actually is a bond?
A team from @berkeleylab.lbl.gov, @uwmadison.bsky.social, SLAC Nat'l Lab, SACLA, and others, has invented an X-ray laser approach so fast and powerful that it can capture details about quantum-scale phenomena like the movement of electrons.
Read more: go.lbl.gov/attosecond-imaging
#BioMBIB
Interested in metagenomic virus discovery but don't know where to start? In collaboration with CERI and a group of virus discovery experts from around the world, we'll be running a 5 day hands-on workshop in virus discovery.
Find out more here: climade.health/2025/06/22/m...
Photo of a while man with short cropped salt-and-pepper hair and dark eyes wearing a black shirt. Text reads: S2 E 5 My "Tetherball" Path Nathan Hillson Department Head of Biodesign at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Chief Information Officer at the Joint BioEnergy Institute.
The Joint BioEnergy Institute‘s Nathan Hillson spoke with the “My Perfect Path” podcast about his professional journey, navigating career decisions amid uncertainty, and his approach to mentorship. go.lbl.gov/hillson_podcast
#BioBSE @jbei.lbl.gov
A new “pee-cycling” process creates a valuable stream of materials. A team from @berkeleylab.lbl.gov, @ucirvine.bsky.social, & @illinoisresearch.bsky.social modified yeast to produce hydroxyapatite—used to repair bones and teeth—from urine. Read more: go.lbl.gov/osteoyeast
#BioEGSB @jgi.doe.gov
JBEI CEO Jay Keasling received the 2025 DOE Office of Technology Commercialization and National Academy of Inventors Innovator of the Year award. Congratulations Jay! Read more: go.lbl.gov/keasling-innovator-oty
26.06.2025 20:03 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Scientists in #BioEGSB @berkeleylab.lbl.gov and @stanforduniversity.bsky.social collaborated to generate experimental data and train a machine learning model to predict the developmental consequences of mutations to enhancers—bits of DNA that drive gene expression. Read more: go.lbl.gov/enhancers
25.06.2025 00:14 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
In the foreground, a wild turkey stands facing away from the camera amid some scrub, apparently taking in a view of the East Bay featuring UC Berkeley's Campanile tower and stretching to the Santa Cruz mountains in the distance.
Even our avian neighbors appear to find the outlook from @berkeleylab.lbl.gov impressive, muses Suzie Kosina, a senior scientific engineering in #BioEGSB who snapped this pic. “Maybe this turkey was looking for its flock or food, but I’d like to think it was admiring the view.” #WildlifeWednesday
18.06.2025 19:22 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 2Researchers at #ABPDU in Ning Sun's group are working on new ways to recover critical rare earth elements—essential components in technologies such as magnets and batteries— from the environment.
#RareEarthElements #bioeconomy #manufacturing #CriticalMaterials #BioBSE
The #OpenGreenGenomes Project, supported through our #CommunityScience Program, represents 35 major evolutionary plant lineages — including M. polymorpha, or liverwort.
For decades it has been used as a model for evolutionary studies. 🖥️🧬🌱
@jleebensmack.bsky.social @maximebonhomme.bsky.social
In this 🎧 interview, #BioBSE microbiologist Harshi Mukundan, the Chemical and Biological Technologies Lead in @berkeleylab.lbl.gov's Office of National and Homeland Security, explains how the Lab is advancing biosecurity research to safeguard the nation. go.lbl.gov/mukundan-biosecurity
06.06.2025 15:19 — 👍 1 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Congratulations to #BioMBIB Eva Nogales on her election as a Foreign Member of the Fellowship of the @royalsociety.org. She was recognized for her pioneering electron microscopy work and joins the ranks of Einstein, Newton, and Darwin! go.lbl.gov/nogales-royal-society
📷 by @christophermichel.com
Rain and a bit of serendipity combined to enable #BioEGSB & @jgi.doe.gov staff scientist Ben Bowen to capture this stunning rainbow arcing over the SF Bay. Ben snapped this gem outside Building 65, the badge office, when he stopped by to inquire about his Lab ID not scanning. #BestViewfromaLab
02.06.2025 21:44 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
