A major focus of our lab is engineering innovation for analysis of complex biological systems — as is required to address questions important to both fundamental biological systems and applied clinical research. We employ a combination of approaches drawn from bioengineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering with strong foundations in biology, materials science, and analytical chemistry. In essence, we strive to advance the “mathematization” of biology & medicine.
We are part of the UC Berkeley Department of Bioengineering and the UC Berkeley/UCSF Graduate Group in Bioengineering. A primary focus of our research is in tools to push the frontier of single-cell biology. To accomplish this, we design and create instrumentation that exploits scale-dependent physics and chemistry. Our work accelerates development of bioanalytical methods, streamlines sample preparation strategies, improves biomarker validation studies, and advances clinical diagnostics.
Affiliations: QB3: The California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences, The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, The Berkeley Stem Cell Center, Jacobs Institute of Design Innovation, and The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Graduate student researchers join us from a variety of UC Berkeley & UCSF Graduate Programs: Bioengineering, Chemical Biology, and Applied Science & Technology, as well as various engineering & chemistry programs.
News
- Anna awarded a Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation to support her next 2 years of research. Congratulations, Anna!
- Amy starts as an Associate Editor at the journal Lab on a Chip.
- Amy appointed to the US Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, by White House approval.
- Alden and Louise are the newest Herr Lab PhD’s. Congrats!
- Congratulations Gabi, recognized as the Runner-Up Springer Nature Best Poster Award at the Hilton Head Workshop 2022.
- Welcome to postdoctoral scholar Trinh Lam, and Amgen summer 2022 scholar Aditi Patel.
- Doctoral student Yaw Ansong named a Brodie Scholar by UC Berkeley Bioengineering. Congrats, Yaw!
- The Bakar BioEnginuity Hub opens its doors for active and future founders at UC Berkeley! A stunning and a welcome addition to our vibrant campus startup ecosystem. (Berkeley News article | Daily Cal article). Over the last 4 years, Amy is proud to have served as the Founding Faculty Director.