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UC
Berkeley: A Key Partner in the New Institute for Bioengineering,
Biotechnology and Quantitative Biomedical Research
07
Dec 2000
Scientists
at the University of California, Berkeley, a world leader
in the fields of chemistry, engineering, physics, computer
science, mathematics and biological sciences, have long realized
that the physical sciences are increasingly vital to the advancement
of biomedical studies. The collaborative approach embodied
in the Institute for Bioengineering, Biotechnology and Quantitative
Biomedical Research complements the goals of UC Berkeley's
ambitious $500 million Health Sciences Initiative, announced
last year. The initiative seeks to expand the boundaries of
teaching and research in the health sciences.
Educational
Opportunities
Education
has been a fundamental component of UC Berkeley's mission
since its founding in 1868. The new institute will provide
undergraduate and graduate students with unrivaled opportunities
to combine studies in the physical sciences with an education
in molecular, structural and cell biology. One such opportunity
already exists through the new bioengineering department,
a two-campus department with UC San Francisco. It will prepare
students as leaders in California's biotech industry and provide
researchers who can apply mathematics and engineering solutions
to health-related challenges.
Research
Facilities
To
house institute researchers and equipment, UC Berkeley plans
to replace an aging science building with a state-of-the-art
facility designed specifically to promote collaboration among
scientists and scholars from many disciplines. With laboratory
space for 41 principal investigators and their research staffs,
the building will contain numerous conference rooms, shared
computer rooms and communal space devoted to promoting the
exchange of ideas. A vibration-free basement will contain
modern equipment, including a 900 megahertz nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) machine, one of the most powerful in the nation,
for studying the structure and function of proteins. Proposed
educational facilities include an auditorium, classrooms and
a distance learning center.
Through
UC Berkeley's close relationship with the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, institute researchers will have access
to unique resources such as the laboratory's Advanced Light
Source for studying the structure of protein molecules.
###
Links:
UC
Berkeley scientists bring promising research to new California
bioscience institute
QB3
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