Rausser College on COVID-19

In a recent episode of Second Opinion, a film series produced by Los Angeles Times,  researchers discuss coronavirus vaccines, emergent variants, and long-term immunity. In the episode, Marc Hellerstein, a professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, discusses public health guidelines, how vaccinations prevent infections, the prospects for immunity, and reasons for hope moving forward, among other topics. 

In his research funded by the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology professor Anders Näär studies ways to target specific proteins on SARS-CoV-2 in order to stop the virus from replicating. Näär speaks with IGI News to discuss the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

In the journal Global Public Health,  co-author and associate professor Seth Holmes identifies how racism has exacerbated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-white communities. Holmes, a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, worked with researchers in the UC Berkeley School of Public Health for the study.

Larry Karp, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, co-authors a recent study that uses models to evaluate social distancing policies, given different vaccine arrival scenarios. The study appeared in the latest issue of ARE Update,  a bimonthly publication of the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics.

The Common Humanity Collective (CHC) is a volunteer organization in the College producing and providing free masks and sanitizer to Bay Area organizations. Plant & Microbial Biology PhD candidate Chris Gee, who helped spearhead a mask-making project, is featured in the Berkeley News’  top stories of 2020. CHC and Gee are also featured in the fall 2020 issue of Breakthroughs magazine.

A project to monitor COVID-19 strains in local wastewater includes Plant & Microbial Biology graduate students Alex Crits-Christoph and Basem Al-Shayeb, as well as Energy & Resources Group alumna Sasha Harris-Lovett. The COVID-WEB Project, using a method developed by professor Jill Banfield's lab in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, has already identified new strains of the virus. Their efforts are also featured on EdScoop and Forbes.

In an article for Berkeley News, Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology professor Marc Hellerstein discusses standards for long-lasting vaccines. He described what “good vaccines” look like for viruses, pointing to lessons that researchers have learned from yellow fever.

Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology Cooperative Extensive specialist Susana Matias contributed to a collaborative and comprehensive study, which highlights the many inequities Californian farmworkers face.

During the heatwave in the Southwest, Americans may spend more energy on cooling buildings as they stay home to social distance. Energy & Resources Group alumnus Christopher Jones speaks about the increased demand for energy from cooling, as well as the stress it places on vulnerable communities and the economy.

Ellen Bruno, a Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, studies the effects of coronavirus on the demand for groceries. While the study acknowledges the trend of panic-buying, it suggests that U.S. consumers need not worry about food availability.

In a virtual discussion hosted by the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, professor emeritus of environmental science, policy, and management Wayne Getz presents an overview of zoonotic diseases and the pandemics affecting humans over the past 2000 years. Getz discusses the theory behind zoonotic spillover while offering key insights into the current pandemic.

Researchers in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Energy Resources Group join the first peer-reviewed analysis of local, regional and national policies in response to the pandemic. The study, conducted by the Goldman School's Global Policy Laboratory and published in the journal Nature, finds that travel restrictions, business and school closures, shelter-in-place orders, and other non-pharmaceutical interventions averted roughly 530 million COVID-19 infections across the six countries. The study was also featured in The Washington Post,  MSNBC, and other publications.

Anders Näär and Dan Nomura, professors of nutritional sciences and toxicology, conduct research and develop drugs to fight COVID-19. Näär focuses on using DNA to block virus replication, while Nomura focuses on molecules which can knock out the virus’ proteins.

Daphne Miller, a past fellow at the Berkeley Food Institute, writes about how the pandemic has led some farmers in the Midwest to shift production. Many growers are moving away from growing staple commodities, such as corn and wheat destined for international markets, to grow fruit and vegetables for local communities.

Plant and Microbial Biology professor Britt Glaunsinger discusses the evolution of viruses such as COVID-19 and how certain properties make them so difficult to contain.

In a blog post for the Energy Institute at Haas, agricultural and resources economics professor Maximillian Auffhammer writes about the future of public transportation once social distancing mandates are no longer in effect.

Agricultural and resource economics Cooperative Extension specialist Ellen Bruno discusses how  shifts in where people buy food during COVID-19 has had major impacts on farmers and grocery suppliers.

In a recent blog post, professor Meredith Fowlie in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics connects the EPA's recent rollbacks of mercury pollution limits to the coronavirus outbreak. Fowlie discusses how communities that have been historically most exposed to high air pollution levels are also being hit hardest by Covid-19, with serious health implications.

Environmental Science, Policy, and Management associate professor Seth Holmes and graduate student Vera Chang discuss the tough choice food workers across the U.S. must make between remaining healthy or financially stable during the Covid-19 outbreak.

After the semester moved online, Berkeley students and professors had to adapt to working and learning from home. This DailyCal article includes the thoughts of Lewis Feldman, a plant & microbial biology (PMB) professor and the director of UC Botanical Garden, and Alexa Nicolas, a PMB graduate student on their experiences working from home.

In partnership with the UCANR Nutrition Policy Institute, the Berkeley Food Institute shares resources to combat food insecurity and eat well during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In partnership with the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Nutrition Policy Institute, the Berkeley Food Institute shares recommendations for using open, public spaces safely and responsibly during COVID-19.

In an article, Energy and Resources Group alumni Peter Gleick and Heather Cooley highlight the critical need to increase clean water access in America, in order to protect families from the coronavirus and a lack of drinkable water.

Professor of plant and microbial biology Britt Glaunsinger discusses the genetics, evolution, and virulence of coronaviruses. Watch her new video, which helps explain the latest scientific understanding of coronaviruses while addressing some unanswered questions.

As the coronavirus pandemic leaves only essential services operational in many areas, shelter-in-place orders can also designate farms, farm stands, and farmer’s markets as “essential businesses.” In a UC ANR blog, Cooperative Extension specialist Jennifer Sowerwine discusses affordable, healthy food access in the time of coronavirus.