Climate-Focused Multimodal Methane (CH4) Sensing
Methane is responsible for one-third of global warming, and our world is facing more and more extreme weather effects of climate change. Agogino’s team developed methane sensor technology, which combines current tools—optical gas imagers (OGIs) and the concentration measurements of TDLAS tunable spectroscopy—coupled with their AI-adaptive sensing algorithms that enable their solution to provide increased coverage of and improved deployability within areas, such as oil fields, where methane leaks most often occur.
Press Release from the Berkeley Climate Action Proof-of-Concept Program (BCAPP) As climate change accelerates and its impacts become more evident, the need for effective, scalable solutions is more critical than ever. As a top public university, UC Berkeley remains committed to its goal of supporting excellence in research and driving solutions for sustainability. In this spirit, the University is proud to announce the inaugural recipients of the Berkeley Climate Action Proof-of-Concept Program (BCAPP), an innovative initiative designed to turn promising climate-focused research into market-ready technologies. The BCAPP program designed by Berkeley and aligned with the President’s Entrepreneurship Network Council (PENC) blueprint for commercialization, aims to bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and industry by providing PoC funding, mentorship, and training to researchers committed to addressing climate challenges.
The Berkeley Climate Action Proof-of-Concept Program (BCAPP) is a collaborative effort between the University of California Office of the President, Bakar Labs Campus Programs (formerly Bakar BioEnginuity Hub Campus Programs) and the newly launched Bakar Climate Labs. Led by Susan Jenkins, Darren Cooke, and David Schaffer, the program has selected a talented group of faculty for its inaugural awards.
“We’re thrilled with the incredible pool of talent we’ve seen in this inaugural call for proposals for the BCAPP program,” says Susan Jenkins, who has extensive experience leading campus proof of concept programs as Executive Director of the Bakar Fellows Program and Managing Director of Bakar Labs Campus Programs. “The award recipients bring forward innovative ideas and solutions that have the potential to drive real, impactful change in the fight against climate change. It’s inspiring to see such dedication and creativity from our researchers across multiple fields using multidisciplinary approaches, and we’re excited to support them on their journey to commercialization.”
The selection of these inaugural awardees highlights the exceptional caliber of research underway at UC Berkeley. With diverse and innovative approaches to climate solutions, these faculty members are poised to make significant strides toward commercialization, supported by the resources and expertise provided by the BCAPP program.
“There is no shortage of brilliant research happening here at UC Berkeley,” says Darren Cooke, Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer at UC Berkeley. “We’re excited to support this research through initiatives like BCAPP. We are confident that these four award recipients will make a real difference in the fight against climate change. This is just the beginning, and we’re eager to see the lasting impact their work will have in the years to come.”