1. International Bioeconomy & Macroalgae Center (IBMC) Second Annual Workshop 2. Upcoming Seminar Series Part 7: How Seaweed is Reshaping Plastic Packaging 3. Zilberman Blog 4. EBI Recharge Facility 5. EBI Business Incubator 6. Job Opportunities 7. California Green Building Conference 2026 8. Young Proffessionals in Energy (YPE) SF Bay Area Happy Hour 9. UCB: UC Berkeley appoints Rachel Morello-Frosch as inaugural associate provost for energy, climate, and environment 10. UCB: UC Berkeley-led biodegradable fabric research awarded $10 million from Bezos Earth Fund 11. Science Daily: A bizarre new state of matter may be hiding inside Uranus and Neptune
12. European Commision: Zeefier: Creating natural dyes from local seaweed 13. UCB: One-of-a-kind experiment tracked plant evolution in response to climate change at 30 sites worldwide
14. Science Daily: Green hydrogen has a hidden problem and scientists may have fixed it |
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The International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC) 2nd Annual Meeting |
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The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) is pleased to host the upcoming annual conference of the International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC), taking place on the 10th and 11th of June 2026 in Oban, Scotland, UK. This two-day event will bring together research and industry representatives from across the seaweed supply chain to encourage dialogue, share insights, and foster future collaborations.
If you have any questions, please contact a member of the organising team: Dr. Puja Kumari (puja.kumari@sams.ac.uk) and Dr. Kati Michalek (kati.michalek@sams.ac.uk) |
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Seminar Series Part 7: How Seaweed is Reshaping Plastic Packaging |
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We are excited to announce the upcoming seventh installment of Biomass to Breakthrough, the EBI Seminar Series. In this session, we sit down with Julia Marsh, co-founder of Sway, whose work explores how seaweed can be transformed into scalable, functional alternatives to plastic packaging. Together, we trace the science behind turning seaweed into materials, from raw biomass to engineered biopolymers, and how these systems are being designed for real-world manufacturing and adoption.
We hope you look forward to this upcoming conversation and all that it will cover. Please share with students and anyone else who might be interested. Stay tuned for insights from innovators turning biomass into the materials shaping a more sustainable future. |
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There will be no blog post published this month. Regular updates will resume next month, including fresh content and continued insights.
Thank you for your understanding and please stay tuned for David’s May blog.
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Position available for Postdoctoral Researcher —Environmental Markets Lab (emLab), University of California Santa Barbara |
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UC Santa Barbara’s Environmental Markets Lab (emLab) and Clean Energy Transformation Lab are hiring a postdoctoral researcher to study low-carbon electricity system transitions, including grid modeling, transmission analysis, and renewable integration. The role involves developing open-source tools, publishing research, and supporting policy-focused outputs in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams. The position is fully funded for two years starting around May 2026. Applicants must have a completed PhD in engineering, energy studies, or a related field and strong skills in energy systems modeling and programming.
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Position available for Postdoctoral Scholar – Climate & Energy Politics |
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UC Santa Barbara’s 2035 Initiative is hiring a postdoctoral scholar in Climate & Energy Politics to study public responses to climate change and energy policy around the world. The role involves collaborating on political science and public opinion research related to climate mitigation and adaptation, as well as developing independent research. The position is based in the Institute of Energy Efficiency and works closely with UCSB faculty and global partners. Applicants should have (or be completing) a PhD in political science, economics, or a related social science field with strong quantitative and writing skills. |
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California Green Building Conference 2026 |
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The California Green Building Conference 2026, hosted by USGBC California, is the state’s leading sustainability conference focused on green building, climate resilience, and cutting-edge solutions for California’s built environment. More than 1,000 professionals from across industries, including architecture, design, engineering, construction, development, manufacturing, policy, education, and community leadership, come together for a dynamic day of networking, learning, and inspiration. |
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Young Proffessionals in Energy (YPE) SF Bay Area Happy Hour |
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Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) SF Bay Area is expanding to the South Bay and invites professionals to a casual networking evening at Cascal. Connect with others in energy, cleantech, and sustainability—first drink included, plus Happy Hour specials until 6 PM. RSVP by May 11 to secure early bird pricing and join the growing YPE community. |
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UC Berkeley appoints Rachel Morello-Frosch as inaugural associate provost for energy, climate, and environment |
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UC Berkeley has appointed Rachel Morello-Frosch as its inaugural associate provost for energy, climate, and environment. She will lead efforts to connect researchers across disciplines and strengthen Berkeley’s role in tackling major environmental challenges. Her work will focus on building collaborations, securing funding, and linking research to real-world policy and community impact. The role also positions Berkeley to expand partnerships and leadership in global climate and sustainability efforts. |
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UC Berkeley-led biodegradable fabric research awarded $10 million from Bezos Earth Fund |
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UC Berkeley researchers, led by Ting Xu, have received $10 million from the Bezos Earth Fund to develop biodegradable fabrics made from proteins sourced from waste. Inspired by spider silk, the project aims to create strong, flexible fibers through a “waste-to-weave” process. The interdisciplinary team will use AI and nanomaterials to design and test durable, sustainable textiles. This innovation could significantly reduce global textile waste and reshape the future of sustainable fashion. |
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Science Daily: A bizarre new state of matter may be hiding inside Uranus and Neptune |
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Deep inside planets like Uranus and Neptune, scientists may have uncovered a bizarre new state of matter where atoms behave in unexpected ways. Advanced simulations suggest that carbon and hydrogen, under crushing pressures and scorching temperatures, can form a strange hybrid phase—part solid, part fluid—where hydrogen atoms spiral through a rigid carbon framework. This unusual “superionic” structure could reshape how heat and electricity flow inside these distant worlds, potentially helping explain their mysterious magnetic fields. |
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European Commision: Zeefier: Creating natural dyes from local seaweed |
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Zeefier, a Netherlands-based company supported by the EU BlueInvest program, is developing textile dyes made from seaweed as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based colorants. Their algae-based dyes aim to keep textiles fully biodegradable while integrating into existing industrial dyeing processes. By using seaweed, Zeefier replaces a hidden source of pollution in the fashion industry and supports a more circular economy. The company is now scaling its solution globally to advance more sustainable textile production. |
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UC Berkeley News: One-of-a-kind experiment tracked plant evolution in response to climate change at 30 sites worldwide |
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A UC Berkeley-led study tracked how plants evolve under climate change by planting genetically diverse populations of Arabidopsis across 30 global sites. Over five years, researchers found that some populations rapidly adapted through genetic shifts, while others failed to evolve and went extinct, especially in extreme heat. The results show that evolution can happen surprisingly fast but has limits under severe climate stress. The findings help identify when and where species may be most at risk from climate change. |
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Science Daily: Green hydrogen has a hidden problem and scientists may have fixed it |
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Green hydrogen could be a game-changer for the clean energy transition—but right now, it’s too expensive and still relies on harmful “forever chemicals.” A new EU-backed project called SUPREME aims to fix that by reinventing how hydrogen is made. Led by the University of Southern Denmark with partners across Europe, researchers are developing a PFAS-free electrolysis system that slashes the use of rare metals like iridium and dramatically cuts costs. |
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