From newt love-balls to Einstein’s brain, exclusive biology trips delve into the unique and spellbinding

June 14, 2023
By: Alexander Rony

UC Berkeley’s Division of Biological Sciences hosted a series of immersive outings to expose alumni, supporters, and friends to some of Berkeley’s top researchers and most memorable research subjects, including rare wildlife, famous brain samples, fluorescent worms, and experimental produce.

A California newt on its migration across the muddy hillsides.

  A California newt. (Photo by Rebecca Tarvin)

Newts on the Move
Professor Rebecca Tarvin | March 19

The first event of the season began on a cool, misty morning in a muddy section of Briones Regional Park — the perfect setting to witness the great California newt migration. Every March, these rare amphibians make an epic journey (at least for them) to nearby ponds for mating season.

Assistant Professor Rebecca Tarvin brought the group to the same cattle pond her lab group uses for fieldwork. No longer forced to awkwardly trudge forth on tiny legs, the newts swam dexterously through the overflowing waters, rolled around in crowded mating balls, and produced semi-translucent globs of eggs — a veritable paradise of slime!

Tarvin’s research focuses on interesting adaptations, such as the California newt’s ability to produce the deadly toxin tetrodotoxin with bacteria living on its skin. Biologists are attempting to determine if and how many of the newt’s ecological neighbors, like the Pacific chorus frog, have developed resistance to the toxin. Not only were the orange-bellied newt sightings plentiful, but the biology and animal enthusiasts in attendance could pose questions to one of the foremost experts on such toxic species.

Biology of Wellness
Professor Daniela Kaufer | April 29

An unusual surprise awaited visitors at the start of the second trip to Professor Daniela Kaufer’s laboratory: preserved slices of famous physicist Albert Einstein’s brain.

Former Berkeley professor Marian Diamond, a founder of modern neuroscience, famously studied these same samples. Diamond shaped our understanding of brain plasticity — that brains are malleable, with neural networks that can respond to environmental factors and rewire themselves. Kaufer carries forward this scholarly legacy by studying brain plasticity and paths towards deterioration or resilience in the face of stress, neurological injury, and aging.

The guests heard from students in the lab about post-traumatic stress disorder (or PTSD) and the potential of psychedelics and from Profs. Kaufer and Shafi Goldwasser about an aspirational research center that will combine neuroscience and AI in the study of resilience. Visitors then experienced a short mindfulness meditation activity.

Brain slices from Albert Einstein.Brain slices from Albert Einstein in microscope slides. (UC Berkeley photo by Ryan Guasco)

Power of the Cell
Professor Samantha C. Lewis | May 19

Assistant Professor Samantha C. Lewis studies mitochondria, or “the powerhouse of the cell,” as she calls it. These parts of our cells create chemical energy for our bodies by processing fats and sugars. The Lewis Lab tests potential treatments for diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, which is common as humans age.

Lewis explained to guests how her lab utilizes CRISPR — the breakthrough gene editing technology that earned Berkeley professor Jennifer Doudna a Nobel Prize — to make tiny worms called nematodes glow. By tracking these nematodes, scientists at the Lewis Lab learn how different tissue and cell types react to stimuli, providing ideas for new disease treatments. Attendees then observed the fluorescent worms under a microscope — they moved much faster than people expected!

Dominique Holtappels cuts part of a tree.

  Dominique Holtappels takes a clipping.
  (UC Berkeley photo by Alexander Rony)

Though one can read about faculty members’ discoveries, these direct experiences bring Berkeley research to life. The demonstrations in the Lewis Lab could one day lead to breakthrough medical treatments for diseases that affect tissues such as the brain, muscles, and the heart.

Evolutionary Ecology
Professor Britt Koskella | May 21

The field trip series wrapped up for the season with a voyage through campus led by Associate Professor Britt Koskella and a quartet of her students and postdocs. As the global population rockets toward 10 billion people later this century, the Koskella Lab is studying how to tackle a key challenge to feeding the world: the 30% of agricultural production lost to pests and pathogens.

Starting from their classroom, the group passed under Bradford pear trees brought to the United States for their ornamental beauty, as well as the mistaken belief that they were sterile and disease resistant. Postdoctoral researcher Dominique Holtappels cut some clippings to demonstrate blossom and fire blight up close. The diseases worry apple and pear orchard growers, as they limit how much fruit can be sold in supermarkets.

Asa Conover, a Ph.D. student in the Koskella Lab, showed off the nearby greenhouse where researchers test tomato plants with a promising product, PhylloStart, that provides plants with the diverse range of bacteria they would be exposed to in the wild. PhylloStart is a bit like a probiotic: Instead of removing all bacteria (good and bad), scientists are finding that you can grow more tomatoes by recreating the natural microbiome. These Berkeley-affiliated studies and patent-pending products may provide farmers with viable alternatives to pesticides and fertilizers.

The visit concluded with a timeless classic for biology fans: viewing leaves through a microscope and seeing cultivated bacteria and phage samples in petri dishes.

Hikers are greeted by a misty morning on their muddy trek to find California newts.

Hikers are greeted by a misty morning on their muddy trek to find California newts. (UC Berkeley photo by Alexander Rony)

A tangled mass of newts compete underwater to mate.

A tangled mass of newts compete underwater to mate. (Photo by Rebecca Tarvin)

An attendee views tomato plants in an experimental greenhouse near campus.

An attendee views tomato plants in an experimental greenhouse near campus. (UC Berkeley photo by Ryan Guasco)

Ryan Guasco, the associate director of development for the Biological Sciences Division, expects another round of outings to begin in a few months. Already, plans are underway for faculty-led trips to observe elephant seals and hunt for fossils..

“Berkeley professors and students are conducting fascinating studies that change the world,” said Guasco. “What better way to learn about this groundbreaking research than to experience it directly?”

Professor Samantha C. Lewis explains her lab's research to visitors.

Professor Samantha C. Lewis explains her lab's research to visitors. (UC Berkeley photo by Ryan Guasco)

Petri dishes in the Koskella Lab hold bacterial growth from leaf swabs.

Petri dishes in the Koskella Lab hold bacterial growth from leaf swabs. (UC Berkeley photo by Alexander Rony)

A researcher uses gloves to hold a brain for attendees to view.

A researcher uses gloves to hold a brain for attendees to view. (UC Berkeley photo by Ryan Guasco)

A visitor to the Lewis Lab peers at a specimen through a microscope.

A visitor to the Lewis Lab peers at a specimen through a microscope. (UC Berkeley photo by Ryan Guasco)

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