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Chemistry and Biochemistry

woman in suit
Photo Credit
Jeff Liang
UCSB's Grace Han’s research centers on solar fuels that capture sunlight and convert it into usable heat.

Chemist Grace Han named Moore Inventor Fellow

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cell images
Photo Credit
Dorit Hanein
Dorit Hanein’s team and collaborators captured Rac1, a tiny molecular switch, rapidly building and breaking cellular scaffolds, revealing how cells swiftly reshape their skeletons to move and adapt.

Dorit Hanein honored for research revealing the cellular roots of disease
concept illustration of a biomolecule

New catalysis method can generate a library of novel molecules for drug discovery
scientists use robotics
Photo Credit
Juan Manuel Urueña Vargas

NSF renews $19.8M for UCSB and UCLA to lead U.S. innovation in AI-driven biomaterials
Five sliced bagels are linked in a chain on a yellow background.
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Linking single sugars into short-chain carbohydrates, called oligosaccharides, has proven surprisingly difficult.

New method to synthesize carbohydrates could pave the way to biomedical advances
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Biochemist Yang Yang becomes UCSB’s first Freeman Hrabowski Scholar
Rare earth element names with suffix “ium.”
Photo Credit
Matt Perko

A simple filter for rare earth elements will ensure a clean domestic supply of these crucial metals
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Andrea S. Carlini recognized for her work on bio-compatible soft materials
concept illustration of amino acid chains that form proteins
De novo protein design involves sequencing amino acids to produce proteins with the desired structures and functions

Enzymes from scratch
One person ascending outdoor stairs of a modern building with a sunburst overhead
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
The Interactive Learning Pavilion, opened in 2023, is UCSB’s first all electric facility.

Reaching net zero for emissions will bring major cost savings to campus
A man with glasses sits on a train, gazing out the window with a contemplative expression. A woman leans her head on his shoulder, partially obscured, wearing glasses and a blue sweater. The train interior is softly lit, and other passengers can be seen in the blurred background.
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Courtesy
Film still from the documentary “Walk With Me” about Los Angeles designer Charlie Hess and his journey into early-onset Alzheimer’s.

UCSB research featured in Alzheimer’s documentary at SBIFF
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Yang Yang’s wizardry with enzymes earns him early career recognition
A group of undergraduate volunteers pose in front of the chemistry building at UC Santa Barbara.
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Courtesy Image
SciTrek founder Norbert Reich (center back) poses with some of the over 280 undergraduate volunteers who make the program possible.

SciTrek, UCSB’s largest education outreach program, garners new funding to expand
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