UC Newsroom |

The 10 biggest (non-COVID!) science stories you might have missed in 2020

During any other year, these groundbreaking advances would have been big news. Here’s some of what you may have missed while you were busy washing your hands.

UC Berkeley |

Jennifer Doudna wins 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry

Jennifer Doudna, UC Berkeley and UCSF professor and Berkeley Lab faculty scientist, shares the prize with Emmanuelle Charpentier for their discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 as a tool for making targeted changes to the genome.

UC Merced |

Imagine a biodegradable cellphone

A look inside Moore Inventor Fellowship finalist Yue ‘Jessica’ Wang’s lab.

UC Berkeley |

Cyborg bacteria turn into tiny, zero-waste solar panels

Chemists create a more efficient photosynthesis that can help produce green fuel.

UC San Diego |

Low-cost smart glove translates American Sign Language alphabet

Next-gen virtual tool could also be used in fields from telesurgery to defense.

Berkeley Lab |

Scientists create the world’s thinnest magnet

A one-atom-thin 2D magnet developed by Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley could advance new applications in computing and electronics.

Berkeley Lab |

The incredible bacterial ‘homing missiles’ that scientists want to harness

A Berkeley Lab-led team is digging into bacteria-produced nanomachines that could fast-track microbiome science.

UC Irvine |

John Chaput can store the Declaration of Independence in a single molecule

By using a synthetic genetic polymer, the researcher overcomes prior limitations and lets you hold the world in the palm of your hand.

UC Irvine |

UC Irvine physicists exploring use of Blu-ray disc lasers to kill COVID-19, other viruses

Blu-ray back in style? Its low-cost technology could be employed in hand-held devices and ventilation systems.

UC Santa Barbara |

Researchers mobilize to print protective gear for local medical facilities

California NanoSystems Institute launches 3-D printed face shield and mask effort.

UCLA |

Nanocapsule reaches cancer that has spread to central nervous system in mice

A single dose eliminated all B-cell lymphoma that had metastasized to the animals’ central nervous system.

UC Irvine |

Nanotechnology treatment shows promise against multiple sclerosis

A new therapy using stem cells from bone marrow has reversed MS symptoms in mice, setting the stage for human trials.