Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Scientists Elected to National Academy of Engineering
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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists Jennifer Doudna and Nitash Balsara have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, a distinction reserved for engineers with outstanding contributions to research, practice, or education. The Academy named 130 new U.S. members and 28 international members this year, recognizing individuals who have advanced technologies or engineering fields. Doudna, a faculty scientist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, was honored for developing DNA and RNA editing methods based on CRISPR-Cas9, a technique she began investigating at Berkeley Lab in 2008. Balsara, a faculty senior scientist in the Materials Science Division, received the honor for his work clarifying the relationship between mechanical and electrical properties in block copolymer electrolytes to develop solid electrolytes for rechargeable batteries. CRISPR-Cas9 System Development Honored with National Academy Election The development of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing has received further recognition with the election of Jennifer Doudna to the National Academy of Engineering. This distinction is among the highest professional honors for an engineer, recognizing Doudna’s pivotal role in transforming genetic research with a technique now widely used across biological disciplines. Nitash Balsara was also elected, acknowledging contributions to energy storage materials. Academy membership honors individuals demonstrating outstanding contributions to engineering practice, research, or education, and the advancement of technology. Doudna’s initial work was funded by a Department of Energy Laboratory Directed Research and Development award, ultimately revealing how bacteria utilize this system to defend against viruses. This foundational work, coupled with a subsequent collaboration with Emmanuel Charpentier, led to the 2012 publication detailing how to adapt CRISPR-Cas9 for precise genome editing in any organism, a breakthrough recognized with the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. According to laboratory background information, this research helped unravel how a component of the bacterial immune system neutralizes threats by snipping invasive DNA and storing segments to identify viruses. Prior to this latest honor, Doudna received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2025, and is also a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.
Block Copolymer Electrolytes Advance Lithium-Ion Battery Performance This research aims to improve lithium-ion battery performance and safety, addressing concerns about thermal runaway during rapid charging of high-power devices. Balsara’s group at Berkeley Lab pioneered techniques to visualize ion transport and structure in these polymer electrolytes, utilizing advanced characterization methods to understand battery function at the molecular level. They first captured real-time, three-dimensional images of changes occurring within a lithium-ion battery during charging, providing insight into preventing potentially dangerous overheating. Balsara’s work extends beyond fundamental research; he cofounded two battery start-ups, translating laboratory discoveries into potential commercial applications. Recognition of his advancements includes an R&D 100 Award for his work on polymer electrolytes, and the 2026 American Physical Society Polymer Physics Prize. Balsara has also served as a principal investigator in the DOE Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) for the center’s full ten-year lifetime. We were the first to capture real-time 3D images of changes in the state of charge at the particle level inside a lithium-ion battery after it had been charged, providing insight into how to prevent dangerous thermal runaway when fast-charging powerful batteries. Berkeley Lab’s Recognition: 17 Nobel Prizes & Key Affiliations His group achieved a breakthrough by capturing real-time 3D images of changes within lithium-ion batteries during charging, providing crucial insight into preventing thermal runaway, a dangerous overheating phenomenon. These recent recognitions add to a legacy of scientific achievement at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which boasts a total of 17 Nobel Prizes awarded to its researchers since its founding in 1931. The lab’s commitment to discovery science and energy solutions continues to attract scientists worldwide, leveraging its facilities for research. Source: https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2026/03/04/two-berkeley-lab-scientists-elected-to-the-national-academy-of-engineering-2/ Tags: Quantum News There is so much happening right now in the field of technology, whether AI or the march of robots. Adrian is an expert on how technology can be transformative, especially frontier technologies. But Quantum occupies a special space. Quite literally a special space. A Hilbert space infact, haha! Here I try to provide some of the news that is considered breaking news in the Quantum Computing and Quantum tech space. Latest Posts by Quantum News: MIT Technique Identifies Critical Variables to Improve Design Optimization March 4, 2026 Xanadu Highlights Path to Public Listing, Scalable Quantum Computing March 4, 2026 MicroCloud Hologram Advances Deployable Quantum Recurrent Neural Network Technology March 4, 2026