Kara J. Manke

Berkeley News • 11th January 2022

Study: Safe drinking water remains out of reach for many Californians

The first comprehensive analysis of drinking water quality in California finds that 370,000 or more rely on drinking water that may contain unsafe chemical contaminants and communities of color are more likely to be impacted

Berkeley News • 13th December 2021

Want to limit carbon and curb wildfire? Create a market for small trees

Forest thinning treatments are critical to reducing wildfire risk – but they come at a high cost, and can release stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

Berkeley News • 12th November 2021

Could liposomes be the unsung heroes of the pandemic?

Berkeley engineers use liposomes to create new SARS-CoV-2 mimics which, when paired with a new DNA-patterning technique, could enable safe development of new COVID-19 diagnostic platforms and efficient testing of antibody therapies

Berkeley News • 4th November 2021

A wellness check for Tilden Park’s turtles

Former UC Berkeley postdoctoral scholar Max Lambert and a team of wildlife experts check in on the health of a community of Western pond turtles living in Jewel Lake

Berkeley News • 21st October 2021

Bat study reveals secrets of the social brain

Neuroscientists measure the neural activity of freely interacting Egyptian fruit bats, providing the first glimpse into how the brain processes group communication

Berkeley News • 21st September 2021

When extreme events are no longer rare: Lessons from Hurricane Ida

After documenting the destruction in Louisiana, a Berkeley engineer shares thoughts on designing resilient infrastructure for a warming world

Berkeley News • 1st September 2021

Salinas Valley teens find green cleaning is worth the hype

High school students worked with UC Berkeley researchers to test whether switching to green cleaning reduces users’ exposure to harmful chemicals

Berkeley News • 31st August 2021

How much wildfire smoke is infiltrating our homes?

Scientists used data from a crowdsourced network of sensors to find out how well Californians are able to keep the air inside their homes safe on smoky days

Berkeley News • 9th August 2021

How wildfire restored a Yosemite watershed

Half a century of allowing lightning fires to burn in Yosemite’s Illilouette Creek Basin has recreated a lost forest ecosystem that is far more resilient to the impacts of drought, wildfire and climate change

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.