This proposal seeks funds to support the training of 12 engineering Ph.D. candidates in the interdisciplinary area of cellular and tissue engineering. Cellular engineering is the application of the principles and methods of engineering to problems in cell and molecular biology of both a basic and applied nature. Over the past ten years, the Georgia Institute of Technology has assembled a group of 26 faculty with expertise in cellular and tissue engineering. These individuals form the Cellular and Tissue Engineering Group and the core faculty for this proposed training program. The Group operates as an integrated unit with the primary purpose of providing research training in cellular and tissue engineering. An important element of this proposal is the strong partnership with Emory University School of Medicine, and eight of the core faculty members are from Emory University. Cohesiveness within the core faculty group and for the participating students is provided by two units. One is the Petit institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, and of the 26 core faculty, 16 are housed in the new Petit Institute building. The second unit is the Georgia Tech/Emory Center for the Living Tissues (GTEC), an Engineering Research Center established by the National Science Foundation in 1998. Of the 26 core faculty, 23 are participants in GTEC, which bridges Georgia Tech and Emory. The Cellular and Tissue Engineering Group is based in GTEC, which is an integral part of the Petit institute, and this provides for the interdisciplinary environment in the training program. In addition to this, the key elements in the training program are formal course work, laboratory experience, and a doctoral dissertation. The foundation for the research thesis is laid through a series of graduate or advanced undergraduate courses in basic engineering, applied mathematics, biological sciences, and cellular engineering. In addition, research meetings and seminars are held frequently to expose students to broader issues in cellular engineering. It is this interdisciplinary learning environment, as provided through the Cellular and Tissue Engineering Group and the strong link with Emory University School of Medicine, which is the key element of this proposal for a continuation of our current training grant.
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