Kara J. Manke

Berkeley News • 28th July 2021

The biggest perk to being a Berkeley Nobelist? Free parking.

When the customs agent at San Francisco International Airport asked Reinhard Genzel why he was visiting America, Genzel had a pretty good answer ready. “I said, ‘Well, I’m an emeritus professor from UC Berkeley, and this is my first opportunity to...

Berkeley News • 20th July 2021

COVID-19: We can’t predict what’s next. But here’s what we can do now.

The highly transmissible Delta variant brings a new set of risks, but with caution and the right set of tools, we can stave off the worst, UC Berkeley public health expert says

Berkeley News • 8th July 2021

A peek inside a flying bat’s brain uncovers clues to mammalian navigation

A new study shows that many mammals have a neural "GPS System" that not only tracks their location in space, but also in the near future

Berkeley News • 2nd July 2021

Insect-sized robot navigates mazes with the agility of a cheetah

This flexible, durable robot can traverse complex terrain and quickly swerve to avoid obstacles, qualities that could one make it an asset for search and rescue operations

Berkeley News • 16th June 2021

Public health expert: ‘We need to go forward to a new type of normal’

As COVID-19 restrictions lift, vaccines will become the first line of defense against the virus — and health professionals should redouble their efforts to reach unvaccinated populations

Berkeley News • 1st June 2021

Analysis reveals global ‘hot spots’ where new coronaviruses may emerge

Global land-use changes — including forest fragmentation, agricultural expansion and concentrated livestock production — are creating “hot spots” favorable for bats that carry coronaviruses and where conditions are ripe for the diseases to jump from...

Berkeley News • 26th May 2021

How antibiotic-filled poop helps ‘bessbug’ beetles stay healthy

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that the frass of the horned passalus beetle is teeming with antibiotic and antifungal chemicals similar to the ones that humans use to ward off bacterial and fungal infections....

Berkeley News • 10th May 2021

As global climate shifts, forests’ futures may be caught in the wind

Forests’ ability to survive and adapt to the disruptions wrought by climate change may depend, in part, on the eddies and swirls of global wind currents, suggests a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Berkeley News • 21st April 2021

First-of-its-kind study links wildfire smoke to skin disease

Wildfire smoke can trigger a host of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms, ranging from a runny nose and cough to a potentially life-threatening heart attack or stroke. A new study suggests that the dangers posed by wildfire smoke may also extend...

Berkeley News • 14th April 2021

Tiny wireless implant detects oxygen deep within the body

Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have created a tiny wireless implant that can provide real-time measurements of tissue oxygen levels deep underneath the skin. The device, which is smaller than the average ladybug and powered by...

Berkeley News • 31st March 2021

Wildfire’s devastation can linger long after the smoke has cleared

Communities impacted by California’s recent megafires can face lasting social and economic hardships, including high unemployment and housing shortages.

Berkeley News • 25th March 2021

California’s diesel emissions rules reduce air pollution, protect vulnerable communities

Extending California’s stringent diesel emissions standards to the rest of the U.S. could dramatically improve the nation’s air quality and health, particularly in lower income communities of color, finds a new analysis published today in the journal...

Berkeley News • 15th March 2021

How legacies of racism hinder vaccination among communities of color

Vaccine hesitancy is just one of a constellation of factors that prevent Black, Latinx and Native American people from accessing the protective shot

Berkeley News • 10th February 2021

Researchers harness quantum weirdness to speed the search for dark matter

UC Berkeley engineers and their collaborators have built the most sensitive detector yet for spotting subatomic particles called axions

Berkeley News • 4th February 2021

In a desert seared by climate change, burrowers fare better than birds

Over the past century, climate change has taken its toll on the Mojave Desert's birds, but a new study finds that its small mammal populations have remained stable. By simulating how birds and mammals respond to heat, the study team showed that small...

Berkeley News • 14th January 2021

Glass frogs living near roaring waterfalls wave hello to attract mates

UC Berkeley conservationist discovers the first evidence of visual communication among tropical glass frogs

Berkeley News • 12th January 2021

New study reveals how fences hinder migratory wildlife in the West

Wildlife biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, combined GPS location data of tagged mule deer and pronghorn with satellite imagery of fences to find out just how often these animals encounter fences, and what happens when they do.

Berkeley News • 21st December 2020

High-five or thumbs-up? New device detects which hand gesture you want to make

A new device developed by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, can recognize hand gestures based on electrical signals detected in the forearm. The system, which couples wearable biosensors with artificial intelligence (AI), could one...

Berkeley News • 16th December 2020

Camera traps document wildlife’s return to Gorongosa National Park

Animal populations in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park have recovered in the decades since civil war wiped out most of the region’s large mammals. But, new research shows that the distribution of species remains different than it was before the war.

Berkeley News • 4th December 2020

New CRISPR-based COVID-19 test uses smartphone cameras to spot virus RNA

Scientists at UC Berkeley and Gladstone Institutes have developed a new CRISPR-based COVID-19 diagnostic test that, with the help of a smartphone camera, can provide a positive or negative result in 15 to 30 minutes. Unlike many other tests that are...