Dear Readers,

Stepping into the editor in chief position, I was terrified to fumble. But as I came into the role, I was reminded that this publication is a community-wide endeavor. Not only do I have the most incredible executive team around me, working hard now to make sure the magazine has a long future, but I also get to work with the most dedicated editors, who, issue after issue, help shape these fascinating articles into the works of art you read here. Then there are the designers, who always blow me away with how they can bring the articles alive. And of course, there’s the whole Berkeley community, scientists and non-scientists alike, who give this magazine its purpose. Through my time as a writer, editor, and now editor in chief, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a variety of people in the Berkeley community who continue to inspire me every day. Reading about the hidden gems around campus and all the influential research occurring at UC Berkeley and LBL continues to motivate me, and I hope these articles do the same for you.

As is a common trend for the Berkeley Science Review, the articles reflect the challenges that are at the forefront of our community’s concerns. This fall, the focus has been on human and environmental health. In “Making carbon pull its weight,” Sam Oaks-Leaf introduces us to some of the planet-saving research occurring at LBL, while Jules Perez shows us how cryofreezing can save coral in “Turning the tide with coral freezing.” Han Le teaches us how negative capacitance can make better batteries in “Turning a negative into a positive” and discusses the uses of machine learning to find better viral vectors for gene therapy in “AI goes viral.” Anna Weldy and Precious Offu tie it all together with Rebecca Abergel’s Faculty Profile, where they highlight Abergel’s incredible work in heavy metals and radionuclide therapies to help both people and the planet.

We’re also reminded of the ever-growing importance of collaboration between fields and how interconnected our disciplines are. In “Storytelling meets science,” Anna Reck shows how the intersection of two seemingly divergent fields is vitally important for ecological management. Nathan Soland’s Faculty Profile on Kwabena Bediako shows us how the combination of two fields can lead to new understandings. Meanwhile, Reck introduces us to a hidden gem on campus in “Hyenas in the hills?”, which outlines how misconceptions about animal behavior can be corrected by studying animals in their natural habitats.

This magazine would not exist without the incredible contributions of everyone behind the scenes. Our editing team of both new and long-time editors has worked closely with the authors over these past few months to grow the articles into what you see today. The design team—led brilliantly by Eleanor Wang, our new art director—has illustrated every inch of the magazine. Our managing editor, Héctor Torres Vera, continues to keep the magazine alive with their excellent handling of logistics. Jeremy Marcus and Sam Oaks-Leaf, our blog editor in chief and web director, respectively, have worked tirelessly to revive our website, so the BSR can continue to reach a wider audience. Lastly, we’d like to thank our donors, especially the Karmon family for their ongoing support, whose generosity allows the BSR to continue to thrive.

We hope you enjoy Issue 47 of the Berkeley Science Review!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lineberry

Editor in Chief