1. Seminar Series Part 8: The Bioeconomy 2. IBMC Workshop Recap 3. Celebrating Our Graduates from UC Berkeley and UIUC 4. May Blog Post 5. EBI Recharge Facility 6. EBI Business Incubator
7. Position Available for Extension Educator in Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
8. Position Available for Postdoc Employee at the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center for Data Science & Environment (DSE), UC Berkeley ESPM 9. 2025 Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress in Chicago 10. Haas Economics of Energy and the Environment Executive Education course 11. UIUC: iSEE Project Shows Benefits of Prairie Grass for Sustainable Aviation Fuel
12. LBNL: Ballistic Ion Transport Discovery Paves the Way for Better All-Solid-State-Batteries 13. Latitude Media: These Startups are Mining Cobalt from Unusual Places
14. Interesting Engineering: US Scientists Build Solar Water Purifier that Stores Heat to Work Even After Sunset
15. SciTech Daily: Scientists Crack 70-Year Fusion Puzzle, Paving Way for Clean Energy |
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Seminar Series Part 6: The Bioeconomy |
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Alexandra “Ali” Hill, UC Berkeley Professor of Cooperative Extension in the department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, joins Logan Roscoe to discuss her research on California’s farmworkers, as well as how seaweed opens new doors for these agricultural communities. |
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The Energy & Biosciences Institute is excited to announce the eighth and final installment of our seminar series on the bioeconomy. As we prepare for the launch of the International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC), we have spoken with numerous experts in the bioeconomy, macroalgae production, the supply chain, and more. The goals of this series have been to: Illuminate the aims and outcomes of the IBMC Explain the various ways seaweed is produced and disseminated, as well as its uses in the supply chain Highlight international and interdisciplinary perspectives on the blue bioeconomy
We hope you enjoyed this series and all that it covered. Please share with students and anyone else who could be interested! |
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| International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center Workshop |
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| The Energy & Biosciences Institute is proud to announce the success of the first-ever International Bioeconomy Macroalgae Center (IBMC) Workshop, held May 1–2, 2025, at Anchor House, UC Berkeley.
This landmark two-day event brought together over 100 leading researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers from around the world to explore the powerful role of macroalgae in addressing global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, sustainable energy, and material innovation.
Workshop sessions spanned topics including macroalgae biodiversity and genomics, innovations in cultivation and harvesting, workforce development, sustainability, and social equity. Attendees also engaged in table discussions, networking sessions, and screenings of short films showcasing seaweed’s extraordinary potential.
By blending science, storytelling, and community, the IBMC Workshop marked a pivotal step toward global collaboration and algae-based solutions to some of today’s most urgent environmental challenges. We look forward to continuing to grow this international community and building the next chapter of the IBMC together. |
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Celebrating Our Graduates from UC Berkeley and UIUC |
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We’re thrilled to celebrate the remarkable achievements of this year’s graduates. Your creativity, resilience, and dedication have shaped this year in unforgettable ways. While graduation marks the end of one chapter, it’s only the beginning of the impact you’ll make in your professional journeys and personal endeavors.
A special recognition to Logan Roscoe and Iyan Godwin, two exceptional graduating members of the EBI team. Thank you for your incredible contributions, talents, and support. It’s been a pleasure collaborating with you, and we can’t wait to see the amazing paths your futures hold.
Congratulations again—your journey is just getting started! |
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EBI’s Executive Committee member David Zilberman will soon release a new blog post. In the meantime, you can find his many previous posts on the bioeconomy at the link below. |
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Position Available for Extension Educator in Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
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University of Illinois Extension is seeking a full-time Extension Educator in Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy (NREE).
The Extension Educator serves as a regular, full-time, 12-month academic professional with primary responsibility for the development, delivery, and evaluation of educational programs supporting the mission of the University of Illinois Extension. Extension Educators support one of the six core Extension program areas, and within that program area may focus on one or more of the following interdisciplinary strategic priorities: Community, Environment, Economy, Food and Agriculture, and Health. Programmatic objectives of Extension Educators will be consistent with national and statewide initiatives considered of significant importance to residents of the state of Illinois.
For more information, follow the link below. |
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Position Available for Postdoc Employee at the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center for Data Science & Environment (DSE), UC Berkeley ESPM |
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The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center for Data Science & Environment (DSE) in the at UC Berkeley Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management is accepting applications for the Postdoctoral Employee Title for candidates interested in leading a new data-centered research project investigating the impacts of lethal humidity and heat on cattle and other animals central to food systems.
Increasing research attention has been dedicated to understanding threats that climate change-driven increases in wet-bulb temperature pose to humans. More such science is also needed when considering the potential impacts that humid heat may have upon cattle and other livestock species that also rely heavily or partially on evaporative heat loss to cool down.
For more information on the position, follow the link below. |
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2025 Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress in Chicago |
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The Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress will celebrate its fifth anniversary in Chicago, Illinois, where it will be held from 16-19 June 2025 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk and online. SRI is an annual convening focused on action-forward, knowledge-based and inclusive approaches to sustainability.
SRI2025 will spotlight Pathways to Sustainability Solutions, sharing implementation strategies and legacies of successful approaches to critical sustainability concerns facing Chicago, the United States, and the globe. It will also provide opportunities to overcome engagement, policy, resourcing, and other hurdles that slow our transformation to more resilient and equitable futures. |
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Haas Economics of Energy and the Environment Executive Education course |
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Join the Energy Institute at Haas for their upcoming Economics of Energy and the Environment Executive Education course, taking place on June 16, 17, 18, and 20. This virtual course provides an engaging learning experience through a combination of pre-recorded screencast videos and live, interactive Zoom sessions.
Electricity markets have been restructured in fundamental ways for nearly 30 years often resulting in markets that are subject to both competition and regulation. This course covers the fundamental concepts of electric utility regulation and competitive electricity markets, the incentives that each market structure creates, and the potential drawbacks of each. This course will also examine retail rate design and the economics of environmental regulation. |
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UIUC: iSEE Project Shows Benefits of Prairie Grass for Sustainable Aviation Fuel |
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New research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s “Next Generation Feedstocks” project has identified switchgrass as a promising candidate for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Led by Professor D.K. Lee, the project tested modern energy cultivars across the Midwest, revealing that varieties like Independence and Liberty boost both profitability and ecosystem benefits. “One of the many benefits of growing purpose-grown energy crops on marginal lands is ecosystem services associated with the perennial nature of energy crops. They can also potentially generate higher profits than conventional row crops on less productive land,” according to postdoctoral fellow Nictor Namoi.
To learn more about the potential of switchgrass as a biofuel and its ecosystem benefits, read more. |
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LBNL: Ballistic Ion Transport Discovery Paves the Way for Better All-Solid-State-Batteries |
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Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a “gamechanger” in improving All-Solid-State Batteries (ASSB), a promising alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. Researchers have developed glassy polymers that exhibit high ion conductivity at room temperature. This was accomplished through the implementation of ballistic ion transport, which allows lithium ions to move quickly through a polymer with minimal resistance and scattering. This discovery holds promise for the development of safer, more energy-dense batteries.
To learn more about this discovery, read more. |
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Latitude Media: These Startups are Mining Cobalt from Unusual Places |
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The U.S. relies heavily on imported cobalt, a key material for lithium-ion batteries and the energy transition. With new tariffs and supply concerns, startups are finding creative ways to source it locally. Xerion Advanced Battery Corp. is now turning cobalt, once just a byproduct of its battery, into a main product. New Zealand’s Aspiring Materials is also expanding to the U.S., using a new method to extract cobalt and other minerals from a common rock called olivine.
To learn more about how startups are addressing this issue, read more. |
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Interesting Engineering: US Scientists Build Solar Water Purifier that Stores Heat to Work Even After Sunset |
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Researchers at Texas’ Rice University have developed a revolutionary clean water solution to a growing global freshwater crisis: a water purifier that pumps out clean drinking water without the need for filters, batteries, or external storage. The purifier has a simple two-channel set-up—one for heated saline water and one for air. As the water evaporates, vapor moves into the air channel and condenses into clean water, leaving contaminants behind.
To learn about this innovation and its implications, read more. |
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SciTech Daily: Scientists Crack 70-Year Fusion Puzzle, Paving Way for Clean Energy |
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One of the biggest challenges in nuclear fusion has been trapping high-energy particles inside reactors, which is essential for keeping fusion reactions going. A team from the University of Texas at Austin, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Type One Energy Group has developed a method that is 10 times faster than current approaches for identifying holes in magnetic fields where particles may leak out of. Scientists say this is a major leap forward for fusion research.
To learn more about this advancement in fusion technology, read more. |
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