Bioinformatics
Unlocking life's secrets contained at the cell's molecular level will revolutionize the world of medicine, altering everything from disease screening to drug development. Playing a key role in this revolution is UC Santa Cruz's new Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering (CBSE), whose interdisciplinary research and academic programs span the School of Engineering and the Division of Natural Sciences.
David Haussler
Professor of Computer Science
UC Santa Cruz, in fact, is where the Human Genome Project was first conceptualized. The project, an international effort to decode the exact sequence of all 3 billion bases that make up the human genome, will not only transform biological research and medicine but will also impact agriculture, ecology, and many areas yet to be imagined.
The post-genomic world will require a new blend of computational analysis, micromechanical robotics, microfluidics, bioelectronic chips, imaging, and new structural and functional genomics technologies that will allow an in-depth analysis of the human genome. CBSE scientists and students will perform research and develop technologies that enable UC Santa Cruz to make major contributions to the post-genomic effort. Our scientists, for instance, will be among the first to perform computational gene predictions on the first draft of the human genome.
The CBSE catalyzes interdisciplinary approaches through strong ties to many different units on the UCSC campus, including biology, chemistry and biochemistry, the RNA Center, environmental technology, computer science, computer and electrical engineering, and applied math and statistics. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is also an affiliated member.
The CBSE will offer M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomolecular engineering subdisciplines that will educate a new generation of scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary perspective vital to fully exploring this great new field.
People
The CBSE boasts an outstanding collection of faculty members from several departments, including:
David Draper, AMS Chair, leading the use of Bayesian methods and applications.
David Haussler, CBSE Director, who pioneered the use of novel computational approaches, such as hidden Markov models, in the analysis of biological data.
Richard Hughey, who has developed systems that greatly accelerate bioinformatics computations.
Kevin Karplus, who leads the protein homology and structure prediction effort at UCSC.
Todd Lowe, who studies large scale approaches to whole-genome biology.
Raquel Prado, whose interests include biomedical signal processing and statistical genetics.
Hongyun Wang, whose research includes biophysics and molecular modeling.
Research
Center for Biomolecular Science & Engineering, an umbrella organization for interdisciplinary research and education that spans UCSC's School of Engineering and Division of Natural Sciences.
Computational Biology, dedicated to the discovery and implementation of algorithms that facilitate the understanding of biological processes.