Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed Collimonas bacterial isolates Cal 1 and Cal 2 that demonstrate strong antifungal activity against economically important plant pathogens.

This technology improves enzymatic activity and biomanufacturing cost by engineering a conserved motif into enzymes and utilizing low-cost non-canonical redox cofactors.

This technology improves enzymatic activity and biomanufacturing cost by engineering a conserved motif into enzymes and utilizing low-cost non-canonical redox cofactors.

A novel transparent contact lens device enabling real-time monitoring of corneal curvature during electrochemical vision therapy.

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A novel 3D bioprintable hydrogel platform enables precise spatial delivery of biochemical gradients to engineer in vitro tissue models with area-specific identities.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a scalable, plant-based method using somatic embryogenesis to produce high yields of water-soluble melanin externally from walnut tissues.

Brief description not available

Brief description not available

Brief description not available

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a nanoparticle system combining photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for enhanced cancer treatment.

The use of standing surface acoustic waves (SSAWs) in microfluidic channels gained significant momentum when researchers demonstrated size-based cell separation (acoustophoresis) using lateral acoustic forces. Using interdigitated transducers (IDTs) positioned on piezoelectric substrates, SSAWs were found to create pressure nodes along the channel width, allowing larger particles to experience greater acoustic radiation forces and migrate toward these nodes faster than smaller particles. Acoustic-based microfluidic devices were successfully applied to circulating tumor cell (CTC) isolation from clinical blood samples in ~2015, demonstrating recovery rates >80% using tilted-angle standing surface acoustic waves, though these systems relied primarily on size-based separation principles. The integration of acoustic methods with microfluidics offered key advantages including label-free operation, biocompatibility, non-contact manipulation, and preservation of cell viability, addressing limitations of earlier methods like centrifugation, FACS, and magnetic separation that could damage cells or require labeling. Despite these advances in acoustic microfluidics, significant challenges persist in affinity-based rare cell isolation, particularly mass transport limitations in microfluidic channels operating at high Peclet numbers (Pe>10⁶) where convective flow dominates over diffusion. In traditional microfluidic affinity capture systems, cells flow predominantly in the center of laminar flow channels where fluid velocity is highest, resulting in minimal interaction with capture agents immobilized on channel walls and requiring extremely long channels or impractically slow flow rates to achieve adequate capture efficiency. The extremely low concentration of CTCs , combined with their phenotypic heterogeneity and the low diffusion coefficients of cells creates a "needle in a haystack" challenge that existing acoustic separation methods based solely on size discrimination cannot adequately address.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) screening is a cornerstone of functional genomics, enabling genome-wide knockout studies to identify genes involved in specific cellular processes or disease pathways. The success of CRISPR screens depends critically on the design of effective guide RNA (gRNA) libraries that maximize on-target activity while minimizing off-target effects. Current CRISPR screening lacks tools that can natively integrate next-generation sequencing (NGS) data for context-specific gRNA design, despite the wealth of genomic and transcriptomic information available from modern sequencing approaches. Traditional gRNA design tools have relied on static libraries with limited genome annotations and outdated scoring methods, lacking the flexibility to incorporate context-specific genomic information. Off-target effects are also a concern, with CRISPR-Cas9 systems tolerating up to three mismatches between single guide RNA (sgRNA) and genomic DNA, potentially leading to unintended mutations that could disrupt essential genes and compromise genomic integrity. Additionally, standard CRISPR library preparation methods can introduce bias through PCR amplification and cloning steps, resulting in non-uniform gRNA representation.

UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel dispersion system for agricultural and environmental payloads, including seeds, soil amendments, miniature soil sensors, and so forth. Dispersive packages are biodegradable and biomimetically designed with similarities to natural seeds. Aerodynamic properties control large-area dispersions, while importantly, tunable gyroscopic properties are programmed for penetration parameters, such as depth, upon impact. Payload distribution can be fine-tuned accounting for local soil moisture and grain-size.

POEM is a groundbreaking 3D bioprinting technology enabling high-resolution, multi-material, and cell-laden structure fabrication with enhanced cell viability.

A revolutionary enzyme technology for ambient temperature and pressure ammonia synthesis from dinitrogen gas.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a biosensor technology for rapid, sensitive detection, purification, and identification of nucleic acids in complex biological fluids.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a sophisticated soil nitrate sensing system designed to accurately measure soil pore water nitrate concentrations, enhancing sustainable agriculture and environmental monitoring.

This technology introduces a novel Jones tube design utilizing nanopillars to significantly reduce biofilm formation, enhancing patient comfort and safety.

An innovative system for biometric identification that utilizes intra-body communication for secure authentication.

Achieving precise and tunable control over endogenous gene expression in eukaryotic cells remains a significant challenge, particularly for therapeutic applications or detailed biological studies where fine-tuning is required rather than complete on/off switching. This innovation, developed by UC Berkeley researchers, addresses this by providing a novel, programmable method for transcriptional tuning. The innovation is a two-domain fusion protein comprising the transcriptional repression domain (TRD) of the methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD) protein MeCP2 linked to a dead Cas9 (dCas9) domain. When combined with a single guide RNA (sgRNA) that targets a specific endogenous gene, this fusion protein partially inhibits, or "tunes," the expression of that gene. Unlike traditional methods like RNAi or full CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), which often aim for complete knockdown, this system offers a highly specific and titratable way to dial down gene expression, providing a distinct advantage in studies requiring subtle modulation of gene dosage or for developing dose-dependent therapeutic strategies.

The global demand for seaweed in food, biomaterials, and energy is rapidly increasing, yet commercial cultivation is often limited by high mortality rates due to disease and suboptimal nutrient conditions, presenting a major bottleneck for the industry. This innovation, developed by UC Berkeley researchers, addresses this problem by introducing a novel Probiotic-Mineral Bioformulation Embedded in Seaweed-Derived Polymers designed for enhanced and targeted inoculation of seaweed culture lines. This bioformulation encapsulates beneficial probiotic bacteria and essential micronutrients (minerals) within a protective, naturally sourced, and biodegradable polymer matrix. Unlike traditional methods that rely on simple, often inefficient, direct immersion or broth application of probiotics, this technology ensures sustained release and enhanced adhesion of the beneficial agents directly onto the seaweed seedlings or culture environment. This protective delivery mechanism significantly increases the survival rate and efficacy of the inoculum, leading to healthier, faster-growing, and more resilient seaweed biomass compared to standard cultivation practices.

A novel dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based microfluidics method for efficient and label-free sorting of plant cells, leveraging unique dielectric properties.

       Spectral machine vision collects both the spectral and spatial dependence (x,y,λ) of incident light, containing potentially useful information such as chemical composition or micro/nanoscale structure.  However, analyzing the dense 3D hypercubes of information produced by hyperspectral and multispectral imaging causes a data bottleneck and demands tradeoffs in spatial/spectral information, frame rate, and power efficiency. Furthermore, real-time applications like precision agriculture, rescue operations, and battlefields have shifting, unpredictable environments that are challenging for spectroscopy. A spectral imaging detector that can analyze raw data and learn tasks in-situ, rather than sending data out for post-processing, would overcome challenges. No intelligent device that can automatically learn complex spectral recognition tasks has been realized.       UC Berkeley researchers have met this opportunity by developing a novel photodetector capable of learning to perform machine learning analysis and provide ultimate answers in the readout photocurrent. The photodetector automatically learns from example objects to identify new samples. Devices have been experimentally built in both visible and mid-infrared (MIR) bands to perform intelligent tasks from semiconductor wafer metrology to chemometrics. Further calculations indicate 1,000x lower power consumption and 100x higher speed than existing solutions when implemented for hyperspectral imaging analysis, defining a new intelligent photodetection paradigm with intriguing possibilities.

The reliable spatial mapping of epitopes (antigenic sites) in tissue sections is a cornerstone of pathology, diagnostics, and biomedical research. However, conventional tissue processing and the harsh epitope denaturing agents necessary for downstream molecular analysis often destroy or displace the very epitopes being studied, leading to unreliable results and artifacts. UC Berkeley researchers have innovated a Method for Preserving Epitope Locations in Tissue During Degradation Steps that addresses this critical problem. This method employs a key stabilization step before the application of the denaturing agent. This essentially locks the epitope's location into the stable tyramide-tag, which can then be detected by a tertiary probe after the degradation steps have occurred. This innovation ensures high-fidelity spatial resolution and greater preservation of location information compared to alternatives that rely solely on reversible or less stable preservation techniques.