Researchers at the University of California, Davis have identified DNA methylation biomarkers in placenta, as well as maternal and newborn blood, allowing early autism diagnosis and risk assessment.

Researchers at UC Irvine have identified genetic polymorphisms associated with disease progression and responsiveness to treatment with Tetracosapentaenoic acid (24:5 n-3) for age-related eye disorders such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. These variations found in the ELOVL2 gene are associated with AMD progression and the varying responses individuals have to AMD treatments, including preventative measures. Additionally, these genetic variations have applications in human identification.

This technology introduces a novel method for dynamically tuning the optical properties of living cells by expressing cephalopod proteins.

This technology offers a groundbreaking approach to mimic human placental development and study pregnancy-related complications in vitro.

This technology offers a groundbreaking approach to map biomolecules in 3D space with subcellular resolution, revolutionizing our understanding of tissue organization and disease propagation.

An innovative microscope integrating HSI, FLIM, and SHG for advanced optical metabolic imaging.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a technology that offers a sophisticated solution for collecting and measuring gas emissions from surfaces, particularly skin, with high sensitivity and specificity.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a device for non-invasive, simultaneous monitoring of fetal and maternal heart rates to enhance reproductive management and health monitoring.

A revolutionary laser-based micro-biopsy tool designed for minimally invasive, precise tissue sampling and real-time histological analysis.

This invention introduces a novel approach to tissue engineering through the development of gelatin-based hydrogels that promote vascular regeneration and tissue repair without the need for growth factors.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a device to monitor the heart using radiofrequency signals to improve the detection and diagnosis of various cardiovascular conditions. The device can integrate with existing mobile products, which is particularly helpful for older adults and those with limited access to adequate medical facilities.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed new synthesis methods for the rapid and highly pure production of glycosphingolipids. The prototyped process can produce pure glycosphingolipids that can be used within basic disease research and drug and diagnostic development.

      While robots have proven effective in enhancing the precision and time efficiency of MRI-guided interventions across various medical applications, safety remains a formidable challenge for robots operating within MRI environments. As the robots assume full control of medical procedures, the reliability of their operation becomes paramount. Precise control over robot forces is particularly crucial to ensure safe interaction within the MRI environment. Furthermore, the confined space in the MRI bore complicates the safe operation of human-robot interaction, presenting challenges to maneuverability. However, there exists a notable scarcity of force-controlled robot actuators specifically tailored for MRI applications.       To overcome these challenges, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel MRI-compatible rotary series elastic actuator module utilizing velocity-sourced ultrasonic motors for force-controlled robots operating within MRI scanners. Unlike previous MRI-compatible SEA designs, the module incorporates a transmission force sensing series elastic actuator structure, while remaining compact in size. The actuator is cylindrical in shape with a length shorter than its diameter and integrates seamlessly with a disk-shaped motor. A precision torque controller enhances the robustness of the invention’s torque control even in the presence of varying external impedance; the torque control performance has been experimentally validated in both 3 Tesla MRI and non-MRI environments, achieving a settling time of 0.1 seconds and a steady-state error within 2% of its maximum output torque. It exhibits consistent performance across low and high external impedance scenarios, compared to conventional controllers for velocity-sourced SEAs that struggle with steady-state performance under low external impedance conditions.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a new optoretinography) imaging and analysis system for diagnosing and monitoring retinal health and diseases.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a novel 3D printing approach to culture and construct epithelial tubular mini-tissues.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a semiautomated solution for identifying differences in tissue architectures or cell types as well as visualizing and analyzing cell densities and cell-cell associations in a tissue sample.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed an operant behavioral assay to study thermosensation, pain, or avoidance and tolerance of an animal to noxious environments.

Rapid virus evolution generates proteins essential to infectivity and replication but with unknown function due to extreme sequence divergence. Using a database of 67,715 newly predicted protein structures from 4,463 eukaryotic viral species, it was found that 62% of viral proteins are structurally distinct and lack homologs in the Alphafold database. Structural comparisons suggested putative functions for >25% of unannotated viral proteins.  UC Berkeley researcher have created new single stranded DNA (ssDNA) bindingproteins and double stranded (dsDNA) binding proteins, and methods and compositions for using them, such as binding to target DNA.   

         While nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the most universal synthetic chemistry tools for its ability to measure highly specific kinetic and structural information nondestructively/noninvasively, it is costly and low-throughput primarily due to the small sample-size volumes and expensive equipment needed for stringent magnetic field homogeneity. Conversely, zero-to-ultralow field (ZULF) NMR is an emerging alternative offering similar chemical information but relaxing field homogeneity requirements during detection. ZULF NMR has been further propelled by recent advancements in key componentry, optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs), but suffers in scope due to its low sensitivity and its susceptibility to noise. It has not been possible to detect most organic molecules without resorting to hyperpolarization or 13C enrichment using ZULF NMR.         To overcome these challenges, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a multi-channel ZULF spectrometer that greatly improves on both the sensitivity and throughput abilities of state-of-the art ZULF NMR devices. The novel spectrometer was used in the first reported detection of organic molecules in natural isotopic abundance by ZULF NMR, with sensitivity comparable to current commercial benchtop NMR spectrometers. A proof-of-concept multichannel version of the ZULF spectrometer was capable of measuring three distinct chemical samples simultaneously. The combined sensitivity and throughput distinguish the present ZULF NMR spectrometer as a novel chemical analysis tool at unprecedented scales, potentially enabling emerging fields such as robotic chemistry, as well as meeting the demands of existing fields such as chemical manufacturing, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries.

         Recent advancements in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy have underscored the need for novel instrumentation, but current commercial instrumentation performs well primarily for pre-existing, mainstream applications. Modalities involving, in particular, integrated electron-nuclear spin control, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and non-traditional NMR pulse sequences would benefit greatly from more flexible and capable hardware and software. Advances in these areas would allow many innovative NMR methodologies to reach the market in the coming years.          To address this opportunity, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel high-speed, high-memory NMR spectrometer and hyperpolarizer. The device is compact, rack-mountable and cost-effective compared to existing spectrometers. Furthermore, the spectrometer features robust, high-speed NMR transmit and receive functions, synthesizing and receiving signals at the Larmor frequency and up to 2.7GHz. The spectrometer features on-board, phase-sensitive detection and windowed acquisition that can be carried out over extended periods and across millions of pulses. These and additional features are tailored for integrated electron-nuclear spin control and DNP. The invented spectrometer/hyperpolarizer opens up new avenues for NMR pulse control and DNP, including closed-loop feedback control, electron decoupling, 3D spin tracking, and potential applications in quantum sensing.

Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is a method for quickly determining the most effective antibiotic therapy for patients with bacterial infections. These techniques enable the detection and quantification of antibiotic-resistant and susceptible bacteria metabolites at concentrations near or below ng/mL in complex media. Employing bacterial metabolites as a sensing platform, the system integrates machine learning data analysis processes to differentiate between antibiotic susceptibility and resistance in clinical infections within an hour. With the results, a clinician can prescribe appropriate medicine for the patient's bacterial infection.

UC Berkeley researchers have indentified and characterized a novel CRISPR Cas13 subtype that exhibits unique and advantageous features for transcriptome editing applications. At approximately half the size of the smallest known Cas13 subtype, this novel subtype is the smallest CRISPR Cas effector identified to date. The compactness of this novel Cas13 subtype facilitates its delivery into a wide array of cell types using various delivery mechanisms, significantly enhancing its utility in genomic research and therapeutic applications. The novel Cas13 subtype retains the hallmark programmable RNA-targeting capability of the Cas13 family, enabling precise and efficient editing of RNA sequences. This feature is particularly valuable in the context of transcriptome engineering, where specific alterations to RNA molecules can modulate gene expression, correct genetic errors, or modulate the function of non-coding RNAs. The discovery of this compact Cas13 subtype opens new avenues for transcriptome editing, offering potential applications in functional genomics, gene therapy, and the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting RNA. Its ease of delivery and potent RNA-editing capabilities position this novel Cas13 subtype as a valuable tool for both basic research and clinical applications in the field of genetic engineering and precision medicine.

Class 2 CRISPR-Cas are streamlined versions in which a single Cas protein bound to RNA is responsible for binding to and cleavage of a targeted sequence. Theprogrammable nature of these minimal systems has facilitated their use as a versatile technology for genome editing.  CRISPR-Cas enzymes with reduced requirements for a protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) sequence adjacent to the target site could improve the breadth of target sites available for genome editing.  UC Berkeley researchers have developed a novel PAM-loose 12a variants, nucleic acids encoding the variant Cas12a proteins and systems using these variants that make the Cas12a-based CRISPR technology much easier to design a DNA target for carrying out genome editing in human cells. 

mRNA-based cancer therapies include vaccination via mRNA delivery of tumor neoantigens, delivery of mRNA encoding for immune checkpoint and other protein therapeutics, and induced expression of anticancer surface proteins such as CAR expression in T cells. Success requires transfection of a critical number of immune cells together with appropriate immune-stimulation to effectively drive anti-tumor responses. UC Berkeley researchers have developed an adjuvant-assisted mRNA LNP delivery method that uses mRNA LNP and adjuvant to enhance delivery of nucleic acids to immune cells in vivo and stimulate immune cells. They demonstrated the use of this system to reduce mRNA reporter protein expression in the liver and enhance protein expression in the spleen in mice and also demonstrated this system can be used to genetically engineer T cells by delivering a Cre-recombinase mRNA construct- transfection and editing of approximately 4% of T cells is achieved in vivo. The immune response is superior in our system compared to current, commercial lipid nanoparticle delivery technologies.

Worldwide, over 2.5 million people live with spinal cord injury, with over 100,000 new cases occurring annually. Spinal cord injury often causes motor dysfunction below the level of the injury. For example, thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury can cause paraplegia and cervical spinal cord injury can cause quadriplegia. Such injury is permanent and often severe and there is no effective treatment. Various neurologic diseases also involve damaged or dysfunctional spinal cord neurons. Neural stem cell grafts have potential for treating such conditions. However, it has not been possible to obtain sufficient numbers of appropriately patterned neural stem cells, having a spinal cord positional identity, for implanted cells to survive and functionally engraft.