SP21 V 16.1 Spring/Summer 2021 Volume 16 • Issue 1 COLLEGE OFCatalyst CHEMISTRY • UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna and the bio revolution Catalyst COLLEGE OF CHEMISTRY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY dean Douglas S. Clark
[email protected] executive associate dean Richmond Sarpong
[email protected] chair, department of chemistry Matthew B. Francis
[email protected] chair, department of chemical and biomolecular engineering Jeffrey A. Reimer
[email protected] undergraduate dean John Arnold
[email protected] senior assistant dean, college relations & development 7 Laurent “Lo” de Janvry
[email protected] senior director of development Mindy Rex
[email protected] senior director, strategic and philanthropic partnerships Camille M. Olufson
[email protected] managing editor director marketing and communications Marge d’Wylde catalyst online Leigh Moyer contributors 12 Ashok Ajoy Laurent de Janvry Denise Klarquist Mark Kubinec Brice Yates research Sara Koerber design Alissar Rayes printing Dome Printing for submissions to college publications, please email content to:
[email protected] 6 ON THE COVER In this issue, we celebrate Professor Jennifer Doudna’s Nobel Prize and the bio revolution she has helped create. COVER PHOTO: KEEGAN HOUSER catalyst online at: catalyst.berkeley.edu © 2021, Regents of the University of California contents Spring/Summer 2021 Volume 16 • Issue 1 3 DEAN’S DESK 16 The new era in theoretical chemistry 4 NEW & NOTABLE 18 MARTIN HEAD-GORDON 20 BIRGITTA WHALEY 8 FUTURE TECH 22 PHILLIP GEISSLER 24 ERAN RABANI 12 Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna and the bio revolution 26 NEW FACULTY PROFILES 32 DONOR SPOTLIGHT 36 EDITORIAL 16 32 26 28 30 36 College of Chemistry, UC Berkeley PHOTO © BENSONPHOTOS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.