CBSE Academic & Research Partners

National Human Genome Research Institute. A division of the National Institutes of Health, NHGRI began with the project to sequence the human genome. Now that the genome sequence is complete, NHGRI supports the development of resources and technology that will accelerate genome research and its application to human health. The NHGRI supports the study of the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genome research and the training of investigators and the dissemination of genome information to the public and to health professionals. The CBSE outreach program receives sponsorship from NHGRI.

The California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) is one of four California Institutes for Science and Innovation. It unites quantitative, biological, and structural scientists at three UC campuses—Berkeley, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz—with private industry collaborators to address problems concerning human health. QB3 aims to harness the quantitative sciences to integrate our understanding of biological systems at all levels of complexity—from atoms and protein molecules to cells, tissues, organs, and the entire organism. QB3 scientists attack problems that have been simply unapproachable before, setting the stage for fundamental new discoveries, new products, and new technologies. Several UCSC researchers participate in QB3.

QB3 partially funded the Engineering 2 (E2) Building, completed in fall 2004. The E2 building provides 96,000 square feet of teaching, research, and office space and an interactive learning center. The CBSE/QB3 headquarters at UCSC occupies 6,000 square feet on the top floor. The facility houses David Haussler, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and UCSC professor of biomolecular engineering, his bioinformatics laboratory, the UCSC Genome Bioinformatics Group, and the CBSE and QB3 staff. It also provides office and laboratory space for faculty in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and for visiting bioinformatics researchers. QB3 also partially supported the construction of the Physical Sciences Building, completed in Spring 2006. This five-story building, which has 132,000 assignable square feet of space for laboratories and classrooms in chemistry, environmental toxicology, and biomolecular engineering, was designed to foster interaction among researchers exploring human and environmental health. It features state-of-the-art lab, classroom, and support facilities to serve a diverse group of scientists.

The Center for Molecular Biology of RNA promotes the interdisciplinary study of the structure, function, and biological roles of the RNA molecule. Scientists at the RNA center investigate RNA structure using X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. In connection with the CBSE, the RNA center focuses on the interface between bioinformatics and RNA molecular biology. The RNA center was founded at UCSC in 1992 with a grant from the Lucille P. Markey Charitable Trust. The RNA center sponsors the internationally recognized biannual RNA Structure Symposium.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a nonprofit organization that conducts biomedical research at more than seventy locations in the United States, including UCSC. The Institute's scientists conduct research in cell biology, computational biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, and structural biology. The CBSE includes an HHMI professor, Manuel Ares, and an HHMI investigator, David Haussler. The institute also funds several other staff and research positions within the CBSE.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was established in early 2005 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was approved by California voters on November 2, 2004, and called for the establishment of a new state agency to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities and other vital research opportunities. UC Santa Cruz has a three-year, $1.2 million grant from CIRM to train 3 graduate student and 3 postdocs in in the systems biology of stem cells.

The Science and Justice Working Group brings together faculty and graduate students from all five academic divisions on campus—arts, humanities, social sciences, engineering, and physical and biological sciences—to promote interdisciplinary discussion. The working group is intended to be a creative and dynamic forum for conversation and exchange of perspective.

The Jack Baskin School of Engineering at UCSC houses several departments and research organizations, including the CBSE. Dedicated to first-rate education and research programs that integrate the fundamental principles and sound practice of science and engineering, the School strives to serve the needs of the greater Silicon Valley region and the State of California. Program curricula nurture creative thinking and prepare students for productive careers at industrial and academic settings in rapidly evolving areas of science and engineering.