A selection of written pieces
I’ve written more than 650 published pieces on a very wide range of subjects. Here’s a selection of recent work and some of my favorite stories from the past. Curious about the rest of them? Look me up at Berkeley Lab, IFLScience, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), SIERRA Magazine, IC Reporter, and City on a Hill Press.
Say Hello to the Toughest Material on Earth
A 50% Reduction in Emissions by 2030 Can be Achieved. Here’s How
The Future Looks Bright for Infinitely Recyclable Plastic
Woman Survives "Untreatable" Breast Cancer After Immunotherapy Breakthough
Wasteland Wildlife
The Wild World of Microbe-Made Products – Skis Now Included
New Discovery Could Force Us To Rewrite The Timeline Of Humanity
Hand Dryers Spread Bacteria So Dramatically That Scientists Think They're A Public Health Threat
A Fish Has Passed The Benchmark Test Of Self-Awareness
Scientist Have Discovered How An Old Tuberculosis Vaccine Could Reverse Diabetes
A Game-Changing Test for Prion, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s Diseases is on the Horizon
Underground Water Could be the Solution to Green Heating and Cooling
Decarbonizing the grid means storing energy from renewables. Aquifers can do that.
A Quick New Way to Screen Virus Proteins for Antibiotic Properties
Bacteriophages could hold the key to combating antibiotic resistance. Working with them just got a lot easier.
Rinse and Repeat: An Easy New Way to Recycle Batteries is Here
Berkeley Lab scientists invented a material that will make it simple and economical to recycle a wide range of batteries
Machine Learning Tackles Long COVID
Artificial intelligence software gleans insights from health records to shed light on chronic COVID symptoms
How to Edit the Genes of Nature’s Master Manipulators
Scientists are using CRISPR to engineer the viruses that evolved to engineer bacteria
Methane-Eating ‘Borgs’ Have Been Assimilating Earth’s Microbes
A newly discovered type of transferrable DNA structure with a sci-fi name appears to play a role in balancing atmospheric methane
An Anti-cancer Drug in Short Supply Can Now be Made by Microbes
Thanks to a leap forward in synthetic biology, the plant-derived chemotherapy vinblastine has a new source
Protein Structures Aren’t Set in Stone
Study on plant enzyme shows that proteins can change their structural arrangement with surprising ease
Q&A: We’ve Been Underestimating Heat Waves. Here’s How to Fix It
Two scientists extended the heat index to high temperatures and found that weather services have underreported it by as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit
A Laser-Powered Upgrade to Cancer Treatment
A new research venture pairs cutting-edge particle accelerator science and radiation therapy
Safely Studying Dangerous Infections Just Got a Lot Easier
An extremely fast new 3D imaging method can show how cells respond to infection and to possible treatments
Crystallography for the Misfit Crystals
Advanced algorithms plus an exceptional X-ray laser can reveal the structures of not-so-neat-and-tidy materials unattainable by other techniques
Cell ‘Fingerprinting’ Could Yield Long-Awaited Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnostic
New process combining infrared light and machine learning shows potential to break barriers in disease detection
The Story Behind Our Infinitely Recyclable Plastic
A Q&A with two scientists behind a project aiming to solve the practical and environmental problems of traditional plastics
The Odd Structure of ORF8: Scientists Map the Coronavirus Protein Linked to Immune Evasion and Disease Severity
Biologists used crystallography performed at Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source to reveal the new virus’s unusual protein structure
The Future Looks Bright for Infinitely Recyclable Plastic
A new environmental and technological analysis suggests that a revolutionary eco-friendly plastic is almost ready to hit the shelves
The Incredible Bacterial ‘Homing Missiles’ That Scientists Want to Harness
A Berkeley Lab-led team is digging into the bizarre bacteria-produced nanomachines that could fast-track microbiome science
From Smoky Skies to a Green Horizon: Scientists Convert Fire-Risk Wood into Biofuel
A simplified new process transforms wood waste from agriculture and forest management into ethanol
Epic Research Endeavor Reveals Cause of Deadly Digestive Disease in Children
Scientists from Israel and the U.S. pooled their medical and genetic expertise to uncover the origin of an untreatable gastrointestinal condition
Getting Teens Hooked on STEM
Berkeley Lab’s summer science program shares its recipe for educational success and inclusivity
Solving a Genetic Mystery at the Heart of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Computational biologists dig into the origins of the single unique protein in the SARS-CoV-2 lineage
Scientist at Berkeley Lab Played a Hand in ‘Inescapable’ COVID-19 Antibody Discovery
An antibody therapy that appears to neutralize all known SARS-CoV-2 strains, and other coronaviruses, was developed with a little help from structural biologist Jay Nix
This Enigmatic Protein Sculpts DNA to Repair Harmful Damage
Scientists have determined how a protein called XPG binds to and reshapes damaged DNA, illuminating its role in averting genetic disease and cancer
How X-Rays Could Make Reliable, Rapid COVID-19 Tests a Reality
An imaging technique pioneered by Berkeley Lab is helping reveal the best antibodies for COVID-19 detection
MDMA-Assisted Therapy For PTSD Edges Closer To FDA Approval After Largest-Ever Trial
IFLScience
Moons Could Have Their Own Moons And We Might Call Them Moonmoons
IFLScience
Pot Farms are Poisoning Fishers
Sierra Magazine
Breakthrough Study of Cell Signaling Holds Promise for Immune Research and Beyond
A team of physical chemists led by Berkeley Lab has unraveled the inner workings of a process that allows hard-working T cells to tune out fake signals
The Green Secrets of Goat Poop
Microbes found in the goat gut microbiome could help humans convert plant material into valuable, eco-friendly commodities
Berkeley Lab Technology Provides Clarity Amid Hawaiian Water Contamination Concerns
Scientists use a powerful microbial detection device to show that suggestions of sewage in Kauai’s watershed were mostly false positives
What’s Hiding in Your Toothpaste?
Sierra Magazine
Groundbreaking Treatment That Reduces Severity Of Peanut Allergies Heads Toward FDA Approval
IFLScience
Can You Beat a Breathalyzer Test?
IFLScience
Red Meat Allergy Associated With Tick Bites Could Also Be Passed On By Tiny Mites
IFLScience
New Study Counters Findings That Medical Marijuana Can Manage Chronic Pain And Reduce Opioid Use
IFLScience
An Infamous Chemical Has Been Strongly Linked To Autism
IFLScience
China's Plastic Ban Means 111 Million Tons Of Recycling Waste Will Have Nowhere To Go
IFLScience
A Cancer Patient Is In Remission Thanks To One Genetically Engineered Immune Cell
IFLScience
Nepal's Tiger Population Doubles Thanks To Dedicated Conservation Work
IFLScience
Decarbonating The Future
Three pioneering technologies that could clean up our carbon overload
Sierra Magazine
Would Yosemite by Another Name Be As Sweet?
Sierra Magazine
FDA announces landmark approval of gene therapy for inherited retinal dystrophies
AAO
Unapproved stem cell treatment blinds 3 patients
AAO
Migraines: More Than Meets the Eye
AAO
Potential Adjuncts for Retinal Detachment May Improve Visual Outcomes
AAO
Researchers Reveal Previously Unknown Tiny Channels Between Our Skull And Brain
IFLScience
International Team Discovers New Type Of Neuron That May Be Unique To Humans
IFLScience
Non-Surgical Procedure Returns Hand Function To People With Paralysis
IFLScience
Researchers Reveal New Molecular Pathway Involved In Anxiety, And New Treatments Could Soon Follow
IFLScience
Honey Bees Can Understand The Advanced Mathematical Concept Of Zero
IFLScience
Researchers Discover How Breast Cancer Lurks In The Body, Presenting A New Target For Treating Deadly Recurrent Disease
IFLScience
After 42,000 Years Under The Permafrost, Scientists Brought These Creatures Back To Life
IFLScience
This Newly Discovered Process Helps Explain The Molecular Origin Of Sleepiness
IFLScience
Pet DNA Test Kits Are Giving Out Dangerously Unreliable Health Information
IFLScience