Spotlight on Chemistry

Gateway to a better world

A remarkable insight was born when ancient Greek philosophers first postulated that the world is made up of atomos, or indivisible bits of matter. This revelation spawned the modern science of chemistry, built upon our growing understanding of atoms, molecules, and the forces that control them. Today chemistry is the gateway to a wide variety of allied molecular sciences — chemical engineering, bioengineering, biochemistry, synthetic biology, materials science, and nanotechnology — shaping our lives and our society.

The chemical sciences help us understand our material and biological realms, improve our health, develop new sources of renewable energy, and enhance our well‐being through innovative products.

Berkeley’s College of Chemistry is preparing the next generation of scientists, engineers, teachers, and doctors to use chemistry to improve our 21st century world.

Meet Cal Scientists!

How are these Cal scientists using Chemistry to improve our lives? And what do they like best about doing science? Just click on each picture to find out!

John Arnold Professor Dept. of Chemistry Carolyn Bertozzi Professor Dept. of Chemistry
Kristie Boering Associate Professor Dept. of Chemistry and Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science Douglas Clark Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering Executive Associate Dean, College of Chemistry
David B. Graves Professor Dept. of Chemical Engineering Jay D. Keasling Professor Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Dept. of Bioengineering
Sandhya Rao Graduate Student Dept. of Chemistry Richard Sarpong Professor Dept. of Chemistry
Rachel Segalman Professor Dept. of Chemical Engineering Peidong Yang Professor Dept. of Chemistry