The goal of the UCLA Biotechnology Training in Biomedical Science and Engineering (BTBSE) Program is to educate and to train the next generation of highly skilled scientists and engineers who will assume leadership roles in multidisciplinary biotechnology research. This goal will be achieved through a cohesive training program entailing multidisciplinary research, a common curriculum composed of formal coursework in life science and engineering and of research seminars, and an industrial internship. The required coursework is comprised of a course in macromolecular structure, a course on molecular biotechnology from an engineer's perspective, the Biotechnology Forum seminar course, and a class in research ethics. Life science trainees must work in the research laboratory of an engineering mentor for at least three months; likewise the engineers will spend time in the laboratory of their life science mentor. Trainees who complete this program will be equipped to function productively in the multidisciplinary teams of bioengineers and life scientists prevalent in the industry. California has led the nation in total biotechnology firms, and projected California biotechnology industry annual growth of 5-6% ensures continued demand for qualified personnel. UCLA plays critical roles in support of the local bio-industry as a generator of innovative, commercially viable technology and as the educator and trainer of biomedical researchers. The interface between the life/health sciences and engineering is extraordinarily rich in its diversity; this biotechnology program focuses broadly on molecular and cellular research. Faculty participants in the proposed BTBSE Program all conduct research focused at the molecular and cellular level, and most have established cross-disciplinary collaborations. The faculty research activities cover a broad spectrum of basic biomedical research related to biotechnology including, enzyme biocatalysis, thermostable enzymes, metabolic engineering, DNA microarray technology, nitric oxide metabolism, molecular basis of neurodegenerative disease, biosensors, tissue engineering, anaerobe microbiology, vaults (protein nanocapsules), nanobiotechnotogy, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, protein molecular evolution, and incorporation of unnatural amino acids in recombinant proteins. Such an array of research activities conducted by collaborating researchers provides an exciting menu of multidisciplinary research opportunities to trainees. Faculty participants in the proposed training program have had the opportunity to recruit from a pool of >170 eligible PhD students (including 23 underrepresented minority students) this academic year. In sum, UCLA provides the talented multidisciplinary faculty, bright and diverse students, resources for research, courses, and opportunities to interact with industry that are necessary to mount a successful biotechnology training program.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)
Project #
1T32GM067555-01A2
Application #
6895362
Study Section
National Institute of General Medical Sciences Initial Review Group (BRT)
Program Officer
Jones, Warren
Project Start
2005-07-01
Project End
2010-06-30
Budget Start
2005-07-01
Budget End
2006-06-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$93,992
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Engineering (All Types)
Type
Schools of Engineering
DUNS #
092530369
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Youngblood, Richard L; Truong, Norman F; Segura, Tatiana et al. (2018) It's All in the Delivery: Designing Hydrogels for Cell and Non-viral Gene Therapies. Mol Ther 26:2087-2106
Bond, Carly M; Tang, Yi (2018) Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for production of simvastatin. Metab Eng 51:1-8
Dimatteo, Robert; Darling, Nicole J; Segura, Tatiana (2018) In situ forming injectable hydrogels for drug delivery and wound repair. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 127:167-184
Mansfield, Kathryn M; Maynard, Heather D (2018) Site-Specific Insulin-Trehalose Glycopolymer Conjugate by Grafting From Strategy Improves Bioactivity. ACS Macro Lett 7:324-329
Heard, Jeffrey J; Phung, Ivy; Potes, Mark I et al. (2018) An oncogenic mutant of RHEB, RHEB Y35N, exhibits an altered interaction with BRAF resulting in cancer transformation. BMC Cancer 18:69
Zhu, Suwei; Li, Shuoran; Escuin-Ordinas, Helena et al. (2018) Accelerated wound healing by injectable star poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(propylene sulfide) scaffolds loaded with poorly water-soluble drugs. J Control Release 282:156-165
Lee, Juneyoung; Ko, Jeong Hoon; Mansfield, Kathryn M et al. (2018) Glucose-Responsive Trehalose Hydrogel for Insulin Stabilization and Delivery. Macromol Biosci 18:e1700372
Gao, Shu-Shan; Zhang, Tao; Garcia-BorrĂ s, Marc et al. (2018) Biosynthesis of Heptacyclic Duclauxins Requires Extensive Redox Modifications of the Phenalenone Aromatic Polyketide. J Am Chem Soc 140:6991-6997
Hou, Andrew J; Chang, ZeNan L; Lorenzini, Michael H et al. (2018) TGF-?-responsive CAR-T cells promote anti-tumor immune function. Bioeng Transl Med 3:75-86
Hang, Leibniz; Tang, Man-Cheng; Harvey, Colin J B et al. (2017) Reversible Product Release and Recapture by a Fungal Polyketide Synthase Using a Carnitine Acyltransferase Domain. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 56:9556-9560

Showing the most recent 10 out of 80 publications