UCSF School of Pharmacy
Commencement Address to the Class of 2010
UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
San Francisco, California
May 8, 2010
Go To: Commencement Speeches
Class of 2010:
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH
UCSF → School of Pharmacy → PharmD Degree Program → Information for Current Students → Graduation → Commencement Speeches → Commencement Address to the Class of 2010
UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
San Francisco, California
May 8, 2010
Go To: Commencement Speeches
Genetically engineered yeast grow in the lab of UCSF School of Pharmacy synthetic biologist Christopher Voigt, PhD
Using tools from synthetic biology, Voigt's lab group programmed the DNA of yeast to produce a chemical precursor molecule of gasoline from biomass and salt. The precursor is methyl halide, and the gasoline derived from it through catalytic conversion is chemically indistinguishable from that produced from petroleum. Methyl halides have been extensively explored as intermediates for the conversion of natural gas to gasoline, but until Voigt's research, they had been completely overlooked as potential building blocks from biomass.
Image credit: © majedphoto.com
