http://sciencematters.berkeley.edu ScienceMatters@Berkeley is published online by the College of Letters and Science at the University of California, Berkeley. The mission of ScienceMatters@Berkeley is to showcase the exciting scientific research underway in the College of Letters and Science and the College of Chemistry. en-us The Regents of the University of California sciencematters@ls.berkeley.edu sciencematters@ls.berkeley.edu http://sciencematters.berkeley.edu/story1.php The 3 billion base pairs in the human genome hold clues to both our family heritage and our distant evolutionary past. Professor of integrative biology Montgomery Slatkin studies patterns in the human genome in search of disease genes, links to earlier hominids, and sound policies for using genetics in criminal forensics. http://sciencematters.berkeley.edu/story2.php When microbes attack, the innate immune system raises the initial alarm. By exploring this little-known realm of the body's defenses, Professor of immunology and pathogenesis Greg Barton is gaining a new understanding of how our cells spot potential invaders and ward off autoimmune diseases like lupus. http://sciencematters.berkeley.edu/story3.php Earthquakes can reveal much about the makeup of Earth's interior. Earth and planetary science professor Barbara Romanowicz uses the planet's own rumblings to yield spectacular insights into the ground beneath our feet.