Justin Wahyudi is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Bioengineering. Justin is interested in exploring the field of synthetic biology and its applications in healthcare and pharmaceutical settings. He is working with Dr. Jacob Hilzinger on the CUBES project to help genetically engineer A. platensis for its potential applications in pharmaceutical production and supporting space exploration.
Hanen is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying Bioengineering. He is interested in utilizing computational and synthetic biology to reduce plastic pollution, develop new drugs and diagnostics, and improve food production and the environment, especially in poorer regions of the world. At CUBES, he is focusing on engineering microbes to produce bioplastics useful for applications in space missions as well as on Earth.
After undergrad, Hanen plans to pursue a PhD in bioengineering or biotechnology to grow as a scientist. He aims to start a company one day focusing on using bioengineering to address environmental and food insecurity issues around the globe.
Xina Wang is a freshman at UC Berkeley studying chemical biology. She is working with Dr. Sanders on protein engineering for bioplastics production in space and is interested in how synthetic biology can enable human space exploration as well as how biosystems in nature can be engineered for applications in biomanufacturing and biomedicine.
Undergraduate Hue Ahnn to work with Dr. Hilzinger to help develop innovative approaches to build on our recent successes engineering the cyanobacterial ‘superfood’, Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) for production of pharmaceutical, nutrients, and flavors with application to supporting human exploration of space.
Cassandra is a motivated and curious senior undergraduate in the Bioengineering department
at UC Berkeley with a specific focus on cell and tissue engineering. She has previously worked
in immunology and polymer labs where she formulated and evaluated antibody-conjugated lipid
nanoparticles as well as contributed to the standardization of nanoindentation as a modality for
retrieval analysis of total knee replacement polymer components respectively. Through her
coursework and research experiences, she has developed a strong interest in the field of
synthetic biology which she hopes to utilize to solve problems caused by the climate crisis.
Currently, she is working with Gwyneth Hutchinson and NASA CUBES to engineer Spirulina for
pharmaceutical and flavor production with applications for supporting human exploration of
space. In her free time, you can catch her at the roller rink, or on a hike in the Berkeley hills.
Katya is a 4th year undergrad studying Molecular and Cell Biology and Computer Science. She is passionate about the ways in which we can harness biology for sustainability and medical solutions, and is really inspired by the innovative applications of bioengineering at CUBES. She is working within the FPSD division at the Arkin Lab, engineering E.Coli to produce biopolymers suitable for additive manufacturing for human space exploration.
Eliana Matos is a highly motivated student pursuing her studies in Bioengineering, with a specific focus on cell and tissue engineering. She has experience working and volunteering with a myriad of organizations, which range from nonprofit hospitals to YMCA Camp Campbell. Here, she effectively applies her optimistic outlook and critical thinking skills. Throughout her undergraduate career, Eliana has explored a broad range of classes and clubs, delving into fields such as neurotechnology, health care advocacy, as well as advanced mathematics and sciences related to engineering. While she expresses an interest in the path towards medical school, she remains fascinated by the multitude of opportunities that bioengineering could potentially offer her. For instance, during her first year of college, she co-authored a research paper on the potential for bioengineering in space exploration, an experience that utterly astounded her. The prospect of integrating her major with space exploration filled her with an exhilarating sense of anticipation. Eliana also enjoys going to the beach and hiking in her free time.
Asa Garner studied Mechanical Engineering at Cal. He was a member of the CUBES project and is working under Aaron Berliner to study offworld nuclear engineering & develop methods to additively manufacture fissile material. He was also a lead for the Cal liquid rocket propulsion group ‘Space Enterprise at Berkeley’
Skyler Chan undergraduate in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UC Berkeley. He wanted to become an astronaut since he was 3. In high school, he learned how to fly gliders, and was involved in various student-led space organizations. One of his goals is to make humanity an interplanetary species within our lifetime, and he joined CUBES to advance this mission. Currently, he builds in the Systems Design and Integration Division of CUBES. He is interested in exploring sustainable design on Mars, such as, how to build the first self-sufficient Martian cities. To Skyler, the idea that the choices we make designing the first Martian habitats today will have an impact on the future of humanity never gets old. In his free time, he can be found flying drones, PR-ing at the gym, and filming videos with friends.
