The University of California Berkeley will receive ARI Facilities support to create modern facilities for researchers working in a unique, integrated Program in Biological Chemistry and Engineering within the College of Chemistry. The renovated facilities will promote a strong interaction among bioinorganic chemists, biochemical engineers, and bioorganic chemists working in the areas of biotechnology and environmental research. The renovations activity funded by this award will be directed at the improvement of 1,305 square meters in 30-year old Latimer Hall and will consolidate researchers. Program activity will be enhanced as researchers are currently located in geographically distributed campus laboratories that are between 32 and 77 years old. A 7 month- long space assessment precedes the project which will involve gutting much of the interior space, installation of modular laboratory units and new fume hoods and upgrades to the mechanical, electrical and plumbing services for increased safety and improved efficiency. Provision of adequate facilities will enable the basic discovery processes to be linked more closely with the development process. Biochemical engineers will study separation techniques for the recovery of biological products, biomimetic adsorbents for metal removal and recovery and new approaches to bioremediation. Bioinorganic chemists will study metal ion transport that is essential to life processes, the use of chelating agents in the sequestration of heavy metals, and lanthanide complexes for possible use in enhancing MRI. A total of 8 professors and 117 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will benefit from these improvements.
