Steven E. Brenner

Steven E. Brenner is a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, affiliated with the Department of Bioengineering, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, and Department of Plant and Microbial Biology. His research bridges computational and experimental genomics, focusing on gene regulation, protein function prediction, metagenomics, and structural genomics.

The Brenner lab investigates nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) through its role in gene regulation (RUST), computational methods like SIFTER for protein function prediction, medical/environmental metagenomics (e.g., Crohn’s disease microbiota), and structural genomics (SCOP/ASTRAL databases, protein complex analysis). Collaborations include Don Rio (NMD studies), Michael Jordan (statistical models), Jack Kirsch (experimental validation), and institutions like the Venter Institute and Tata Consultancy Services.

Recent projects include a grant-funded initiative to assess newborn genetic screening and a Tata Consultancy partnership to develop software for personal genome interpretation. His lab offers research opportunities for postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate students, contributing to large-scale genomic efforts such as modENCODE and the Sorcerer II Global Ocean Sampling project.