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🌱 Patch AM: Why a Berkeley biologist just won $400,000 for bold CRISPR research

Spotted on the Berkeley calendar: Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA!

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Hey hey Berkeley! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why a Berkeley biologist just won $400,000 for bold CRISPR research
  • How a 28-minute film captures 150 years of Cal rowing
  • How a UC Berkeley police chase led to an 18-year sentence

Also on today's calendar: Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: The world champion tongue twister just got arrested! 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Tuesday: Sunshine and a few clouds, with a high of 52 and low of 46 degrees.
  • Wednesday: A couple of morning showers, temps: high: 52, low: 47.
  • Thursday: Periods of rain, with a high of 57 and low of 54 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Nuñez receives Vallee Scholar Award (asbmb.org) — UC Berkeley molecular and cell biology professor James Nuñez has been awarded a 2025 Vallee Scholar Award, bringing $400,000 to support his CRISPR-based genome and epigenome editing research. His Berkeley lab studies DNA methylation in neurons, aiming to clarify how these epigenetic changes influence health, disease, and aging, further strengthening the city’s reputation as a hub for cutting-edge biomedical science.
   

2. Cal Men Celebrate 150 Years (rowingnews.com) — A new short film spotlighting 150 years of Cal men’s rowing traces how UC Berkeley’s program shaped generations of athletes, many who first learned to row after arriving in Berkeley. Through coaches’ and rowers’ personal stories, it highlights the team’s culture, Olympic legacy, and fierce West Coast rivalry, offering a proud, insider look at a defining Berkeley sports tradition.
   

3. Berkeley driver gets 18 years for killing woman during police chase (mercurynews.com) — A man has been sentenced to 18 years in state prison after a 2020 police chase that began with UC Berkeley police and ended in a fatal crash in West Berkeley. The case involved a domestic violence incident, a pedestrian’s death near Sixth Street and University Avenue, and a later arrest by a Berkeley SWAT team in Oakland.
   

4. UC Berkeley Settles Discrimination Lawsuit by Israeli Professor (californiaglobe.com) — UC Berkeley has settled a discrimination lawsuit with Israeli scholar Yael Nativ, agreeing to pay damages, cover legal fees, and offer her a future teaching position after rescinding a prior job offer. The settlement follows an internal finding of impermissible nationality-based discrimination and comes as the university continues to face a separate federal lawsuit over alleged unchecked antisemitism on campus.
   

5. The top 10 cannabis health studies of 2025 (greenstate.com subscription) — Researchers based in Berkeley contributed to a major 2025 study finding that legal cannabis in California did not increase overall adult use, while other studies challenged assumptions about teen use, driving, and health risks. The roundup highlights work from UC campuses and international teams on topics from heart disease and stroke to unwanted pregnancy and opioid deaths, generally finding fewer harms than federal policy assumes.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Please share & repost to help reunite this lost dog!
    Saint Nick was LOST on December 29, 2025 in Berkeley, CA 94704 near UC Berkeley Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to contact… (Nextdoor Claremont Hills)
  • There are very strong Diablo Winds blowing tonight (Sunday).
    If you live below us or facing the Bay you may not notice them. We live at 1050 feet and can hear them roaring in the tall trees around us and feel… (Nextdoor Grizzly Peak)
  • University of California Berkeley posted a job opening for Assistant Director, Compliance - Intercollegiate Athletics (05173U) #70612 - 70612 in Berkeley. Apply here.
  • Bridgestone Corporation posted a job opening for Retail Salesperson in Richmond. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Berkeley here.

Ok Berkeley! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I hear they’re giving him a really tough sentence.
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