2023 Berkeley Conference
March 6th & 7th, 2023
UC Berkeley, CA
This two-day conference considered the qualities of water from a scientific perspective as well as delved into the role of water as a key component to life. It focused on the challenges that exist and those that lie ahead if we do not properly address the water crisis that the planet currently faces. Water is critically joined in life on the planet. Without water, life cannot be sustained. We considered the importance of water, maintaining our water resources, understanding the role of water in biological systems, and then looking at novel approaches to the global water crisis including shaping water behavior in water harvesting.
Click on the link below to access the recorded sessions you might have missed.
Watch the Videos
OPENING ADDRESS & WELCOME
PROF. DOUGLAS CKARK, Dean of the College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
PROF. RICHARD ZARE
Water Microdroplet Chemistry
“Water is so common yet so mysterious; you might think that after all these years of studying water that we would know everything about water, but we are still discovering surprises!”
PROF. FRANCES H. ARNOLD, NOBEL LAUREATE IN CHEMISTRY
Enzymes Do It in Water
“Water is where life happens.”
PROF. BENGT NORDÉN
The Role of Water for Life
“I am optimistic about our possibilities to mitigate the challenges that currently trouble planet Earth.”
PANEL DISCUSSION:
PROF. BENGT NORDÉN, DR. PETER G. BREWER, PROF. DAVID SEDLAK, PROD. ANDREW Z. FIRE, NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE
CO-MODERATORS: DR. LORIE KARNATH & PROF. OMAR YAGHI
PROF. OMAR YAGHI
Shaping Water Behavior in Water Harvesting From Air
“We need to care about the things that we do not see - we need to study those things and bring them fruitfully to society.”
PROF. RICHARD J. SAYKALLY
Probing Aqueous Interfaces
“Since water comprises 70% of the Earth's surface, aqueous interfaces are a dominant factor in ocean chemistry, and geochemistry, not to mention biology! Having an accurate and universally predictive model for water is thus imperative!”
PANEL DISCUSSION:
PROF. RICHARD J. SAYKALLY, PROF. ARIEH WARSHEL, NOBEL LAUREATE IN CHEMISTRY, PROF. RICHARD ZARE, CO-MODERATORS: DR. LORIE KARNATH & PROF. PEIDONG YANG
PROF. HARRY BARKUS GRAY
Dynamics of Unstructured Parkinson’s and COVID Proteins in Water“Science involves setting goals, trying hard to reach those goals, and often (almost always!) making mistakes along the way.”
DR. PETER G. BREWER
Hydrogen Bonds and Microbial Swimming – And Sperm Too
“This finding bridges the 50+ year long divide between the fluid dynamics and chemical physics views of microbial swimming efficiency.”
PROF. JESSICA FAYNE
Surface Water from Space: Mapping Changing Water Levels Using New Radar Satellites
“Using satellites, we can understand the dynamics of water quantity and state, which helps us understand current and historical hydrologic trends and improve our resilience to ongoing climatic changes.”
PANEL DISCUSSION:
PROF. JESSICA FAYNE, CYNTHIA KOENIG, PROF. OMAR YAGHI
CO-MODERTAORS: DR. LORIE KARNATH & PROF. BENGT NORDEN
PROF. ARIEH WARSHEL, NOBEL LAUREATE IN CHEMISTRY
The Role of Water in Biological Systems
“The difference between the "solvation" in protein and in water is the key to the action of many biological systems.”
PROF. PERNILLA WITTUNG-STAFSHEDE
Protein Folding in Water is Basis for Life and Death
“Equality, diversity and inclusion are essential factors for solving the world's many challenges. We need young people from all over the world as future scientists.”
PANEL DISCUSSION:
PROF. PERNILLA WITTUNG-STAFSHEDE, PROF. FRANCES H. ARNOLD, NOBEL LAUREATE IN CHEMISTRY, PROF. HARRY BARKUS GRAY
CO-MODERATORS: DR. LORIE KARNATH & PROF. DOUGLAS CLARK
PROF. DAVID SEDLAK
Adventures in Water Decontamination
“If water is the essential ingredient of life, then water supply is the essential ingredient of civilization.”
CYNTHIA KOENIG
Wello: A Novel Approach to the Global Water Crisis
“Great ideas only become solutions once you act on them.”