Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed advancements in understanding exodermal differentiation in plant roots highlighting the role of two transcription factors in plant adaptation and survival.

Brief description not available

Researchers at the University of California, Davis (“UC Davis”) have developed an optical absorber/emitter for thermophotovoltaics application with a tunable emission wavelength.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed an approach to generating mechanical power from the earth's ambient thermal radiation using a Stirling engine.

      Goniophotometers measure the luminance distribution of light emitted or reflected from a point in space or a material sample. Increasingly there is a need for such measurements in real-time, and in real-world situations, for example, for daylight monitoring or harvesting in commercial and residential buildings, design and optimization of greenhouses, and testing laser and display components for AR/VR and autonomous vehicles, to name a few. However, current goniophotometers are ill-suited for real-time measurements; mechanical scanning goniophotometers have a large form factor and slow acquisition times. Parallel goniophotometers take faster measurements but suffer from complexity, expense, and limited angular view ranges (dioptric angular mapping systems) or strict form factor and sample positioning requirements (catadioptric angular mapping systems). Overall, current goniophotometers are therefore limited to in-lab environments.      To overcome these challenges, UC Berkeley researchers have invented an optical sensor  for parallel goniophotometry that is compact, cost-effective, and capable of real-time daylight monitoring. The novel optical design addresses key size and flexibility constraints of current state-of-the-art catadioptric angular mapping systems, while maximizing the view angle measurement at 90°. This camera-like, angular mapping device could be deployed at many points within a building to measure reflected light from fenestrations, in agricultural greenhouses or solar farms for real-time monitoring, and in any industry benefitting from real-time daylight data.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a green technology designed for the efficient storage and discharge of heat energy sourced from intermittent green energy supplies.

Current methods for CO2­ ­capture and concentration (CCC) are energy intensive due to the reliance on thermal cycles, which are intrinsically Carnot limited in efficiency. Electrochemical carbon dioxide capture and concentration (eCCC) is a modular approach that can achieve significantly higher energy efficiencies than current thermal methods, however eCCC systems have been plagued by oxygen instability. The Yang lab has developed an eCCC approach that is over three times more efficient than any other reported redox carrier-based system and almost twice the efficiency of state-of-the-art alkanolamine-based systems.

Traditionally, land can be used for either crop growth or energy production. This technology optimizes the efficiency of land use by combining both. Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed solar cell designs that absorb only specific solar photons (> 2.2 eV) to create electricity, while letting through beneficial light (< 2.2 eV) for efficient crop growth.

         Recent mass evacuation events, including the 2018 Camp Fire and 2023 Maui Fire, have demonstrated shortcomings in our communication abilities during natural disasters and emergencies. Individuals fleeing dangerous areas were unable to obtain fast or accurate information pertaining to open evacuation routes and faced traffic gridlocks, while nearby communities were unprepared for the emergent situation and influx of persons. Climate change is increasing the frequency, areas subject to, and risk-level associated with natural hazards, making effective communication channels that can operate when mobile network-based systems and electric distribution systems are compromised crucial.         To address this need UC Berkeley researchers have developed a mobile network-free communication system that can function during natural disasters and be adapted to most communication devices (mobile phones and laptops). The self-organized, mesh-based and low-power network is embedded into common infrastructure monitoring device nodes (e.g., pre-existing WSN, LoRa, and other LPWAN devices) for effective local communication. Local communication contains dedicated Emergency Messaging and “walkie-talkie” functions, while higher level connectivity through robust gateway architecture and data transmission units allows for real-time internet access, communication with nearby communities, and even global connectivity. The system can provide GPS-free position information using trilateration, which can help identify the location of nodes monitoring important environmental conditions or allowing users to navigate.

Professor Matthew Conley from the University of California, Riverside has discovered that catalysts used to generate polyolefin plastics also perform well in hydrotreatment reactions of plastic waste. This method works by treating plastic materials with known catalysts at 200⁰C to degrade  polymers into smaller alkanes in the presence of hydrogen. This technology is advantageous compared to existing methods since it does not require high temperatures​, has a relatively high yield (+80%)​, and can be applied to a variety of plastics to generate a feedstock of smaller polymers and monomers for further processing.  

Brief description not available

Brief description not available

Researchers at UC Irvine have developed a sustainable and low-cost insulation material with the ability to dynamically manage heat exchange. This technology circumvents the limitations of previous thermal management systems by offering low-cost manufacturing, straightforward implementation, energy efficiency, and control of heat exchange.

Plastics are essential for the modern world but are also non-sustainable products of the petrochemical industry that negatively impact our health, environment, and food chain. Natural biogenic plastics, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), are readily biodegradable, can be produced more sustainably, and offer an attractive alternative. The global demand for bioplastics is increasing with the 2019 market value of $8.3B expected to reach a compound annual growth rate of 16.1% from 2020-2027 (https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/bioplastics-industry). However, current PHA production is constrained by the underlying physiology of the microorganisms which produce them, meaning bioplastic production is currently limited to inefficient, batch fermentation processes that are difficult to scale.To address this problem, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a new system for PHA production wherein the PHA are generated continuously throughout microorganism growth lifecycles. The invention allows these sustainable bioplastics to be produced via precision continuous fermentation technology, a scalable and efficient approach.

For decades, researchers have been developing “cool roof” materials to cool buildings and save on energy usage from air conditioning. Cool roof materials are engineered to maximize infrared thermal emission, allowing heat to be effectively radiated into outer space and the building to cool down. Conventional cool roof materials emit heat even when it is cold outside, which exacerbates space heating costs and can outweigh energy-saving benefits. A temperature adaptive radiative coating (TARC) material was developed in 2021 that adapts its thermal emittance to ambient temperatures using metal-insulator transitions in vanadium oxide. TARC is projected to outperform existing roof materials in most climate areas, but the complicated structure required high-cost fabrication techniques such as photolithography, pulsed laser deposition, and XeF2 etching, which are not scalable.To address this problem, UC Berkeley researchers have developed a new scalable temperature-adaptive radiative coating (STARC). STARC has the same thermal emittance switching capability as TARC, allowing the thermal emittance to be switched between high- and low- emittance states at a preset temperature. However, STARC can be produced using high-throughput, roll-to-roll methods and low-cost materials. The STARC material also has an improved lifetime. As an added benefit, while cool roof materials are often engineered with uniformly low solar-absorption, the color and solar absorption of STARC can be tuned for aesthetic purposes or to meet local climate-specific needs.

Researchers at the University of California Davis have developed a rapid growth platform that aims to decrease crop production time, allow for tunable sensory attributes, and decrease carbon emissions.

Freshwater is essential for drinking and agriculture, yet potable watersheds are increasingly impacted by the undesirable high-density growth of algae and/or cyanobacteria. Understanding, monitoring, and remediating harmful algal/cyanobacterial blooms (HABs/cyanoHABs) and their associated toxins are essential to reducing their societal impact. Recent scientific and technological advances continue to improve environmental cyanoHAB detection and prediction;  however, the vast cyanotoxin structural chemodiversity creates challenges in their comprehensive detection and quantification using standard analytical chemistry assays. In contrast, quantitative molecular biological detection of biosynthetic genes via PCR provides a multiplexable and cost-effective monitoring strategy to identify the toxic potential of blooms independent of active toxin synthesis. The biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for important freshwater cyanotoxins like microcystin, cylindrospermopsin,  saxitoxin,  and anatoxin-a have been defined and applied toward detection over the past decades. However, the biosynthetic pathway and genes for guanitoxin, the only known natural organophosphate neurotoxin, have yet to be described.Previously known as anatoxin-a(s),  guanitoxin is an irreversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, sharing an identical mechanism of action with organophosphates like the synthetic chemical warfare agent sarin and the banned pesticide parathion. Guanitoxin induces acute neurological toxicity that can lead to rapid death, showing comparable lethality (LD50 = 20 μg/kg i.p.) to saxitoxin, the most potent known cyanotoxin. Sporadic detection in the Americas, Europe, and Middle East coupled with bloom-related animal deaths consistent with guanitoxin exposure suggests that this toxin could be an under-recognized threat in global watersheds. 

Brief description not available

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a highly efficient microchannel polymer heat exchanger in a compact and lightweight design.

In this technology, the inventors introduce additives to purposely change the morphology of polycaprolactone (PCL) by increasing the bending and twisting of crystalline lamellae. These morphological changes immobilize chain-ends preferentially at the crystalline/amorphous interfaces and limit chain-end accessibility by the embedded processive enzyme. This chain end redistribution reduces the polymer-to-monomer conversion from >95% to less than 50%, causing formation of highly crystalline plastic pieces including microplastics. By synergizing both random chain scission and processive depolymerization, it is feasible to navigate morphological changes in polymer/additive blends and to achieve near complete depolymerization. The random scission enzymes in the amorphous domains create new chain ends that are subsequently bound and depolymerized by processive enzymes. Present studies further highlight the importance to consider host polymer morphological effects on the reactions catalyzed by embedded catalytic species.This is part of a patent family in compostable plastics.  

Developing optical materials with a high solar reflectivity and high mid-infrared emissivity is important for coating the outdoor buildings. The authors proposed a spray coated paint based on glass bubbles which can be used to maintain the thermal environment of constructions.

In developed countries, buildings demand a large percentage of a region's energy-generating requirements. This has led to an urgent need for efficient buildings with reduced energy requirements. In office buildings, lighting takes up 20% to 45% of the total energy consumption. Furthermore, the adoption of smart lighting control strategies such as daylight harvesting is shown to reduce lighting energy use by 30% to 50%.For most closed-loop lighting control systems, the real-time data of the daylight level at areas of interest (e.g., the office workbench) are the most important inputs. Current state-of-the-art solutions use dense arrays of luxmeters (photosensors) to monitor the daylight environment inside buildings. The luxmeters are placed on either workbenches, or ceilings and walls near working areas. Digital cameras are used in controlled laboratory environments and occasionally in common buildings to evaluate glare resulting from excessive daylight. The disadvantage of these sensor-based approaches is that they're expensive to install and commission. Additionally, the sample area of these sensors is limited to either the area of the luxmeters or the view of the cameras. Consequently, many sensors are needed to measure the daylight in a large office space.To address this situation, researchers at UC Berkeley developed a portable cyber-physical system for real time, daylight evaluation in buildings, agriculture facilities, and solar farms (collectively referred to as "structures").

Researchers at UCI have modified current commercial membranes to enhance efficiency of water dissociation at varying conditions for electrochemical technologies geared towards renewable fuel generation.

 This invention is a wave powered desalination system and, in particular , a wave powered desalination systems with a low speed, high pressure rotary pump.

The inventor has developed systems and methods for performing continuous 3D roll-based additive manufacturing. This invention is distinct from roll-based micro/nanomanufacturing methods such as imprint lithography, gravure printing, and photo-roll lithography because it enables production of high aspect ratio reentrant features and voids in a single step that are difficult or even impossible with the existing methods.