Areas of Concentration from pre-2007 Curriculum

Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering
Core Area A

This area integrates cell biology and biochemistry with mechanical engineering and materials science to understand the structure, function, and pathology of human tissues and their replacements. Applications range from the design of biologically compatible artificial joints to the development of long-lasting replacement materials for blood vessels, skin, articular cartilage, bone, or intervertebral disks. Investigation of tissue injury and remodeling mechanisms using engineering principles and methods (e.g. imaging) is part of this theme. Bioengineers with expertise in tissue biomechanics and remodeling will play a central role in the development of medical technologies to prevent disability and improve quality.

The long-term strategy of the department is to develop a research and educational program involving mechanical systems at all levels, from molecular to cellular to tissues, wherein mechanical and electrical engineering will be applied to understanding the coupling of cells to cells and cells to the tissue matrix. The goal is to produce bioengineers who will have substantial fundamental understanding of structure-function relationships and who can develop clinical applications and treatments related to pathologies of various human tissues and their replacement.

At present, the approach to such work at Berkeley and UCSF is multidisciplinary - students and faculty with expertise in either biology or engineering collaborate to address problems related to human tissues. Students take courses in either the life sciences or in engineering, but relatively few students combine both. The Department of Bioengineering is developing new courses that try to combine both the biological and engineering issues behind tissue engineering. Due to the informal and tenuous nature of these research collaborations, progress has not been as rapid as it could be. More importantly, innovation and synergy could be advanced considerably with the insight possible from a sustained, focused program in both biology and engineering as it pertains to human tissues. Areas of study to be developed include constitutive behavior, cell biomechanics, biomaterials, remodeling, and production technology.

Bioinformatics and Genomics and Computational Bioengineering
Core Areas B & D

The pace of extraordinary advances in molecular biology has accelerated in the past decade due to discoveries coming from genome projects on human and model organisms. However, it is the transfer of comprehensive genomic information to the next level of characterization of structure and function that signals a new maturity in biology. The rapid acquisition of quantitative data by experimental techniques (that are themselves being revolutionized) promises to further enhance the descriptive power of biology as well as expanding the science into a predictive one. The convergence of biology to the next level of characterization ensures that these areas of biology are genuinely endowed with computational complexity beyond just data management and organization. The simultaneous revolutions of genomics and computing therefore has given rise to a new breed of researcher whose knowledge and expertise span the biological, physical, mathematical, engineering and computing sciences disciplines. Because of the fact that biology and computing will likely dominate scientific and industrial endeavors in the new century, with great mass appeal and public support, a few universities such as UC Berkeley are integrating these disciplines into a coherent program in computational biology and bioinformatics.

Those who take up the challenges presented in computational biology and bioinformatics will acquire a combination of knowledge of biology, physics, computer science, and software engineering, aided by the strength of programs in Molecular and Cell Biology, Plant and Microbial Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, and the Computational Engineering Science programs at Berkeley, as well as a new Graduate Group in Medical Information Science at UCSF. Substantial resources have been created or exist in Berkeley for the direct support of the program in computational biology and bioinformatics including NSF and NIH training grants, and state-of-the-art faculties at LBNL including the JGI, NERSC, and the ALS.

Micromachines and Robotics
Core Area C

Berkeley researchers were among the original developers of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and the campus remains a national leader in the research and development of new MEMS technologies and applications. Among these are bio-MEMS, micro-fabricated microdevices that can be used to investigate, diagnose, or treat medical and biological problems. MEMS devices are revolutionary -their minute size makes possible entirely new methods of health care. This potential, enforced by excellent Berkeley/UCSF research capabilities in the field, has attracted industrial and governmental interest in MEMS applications in health care. Examples of bio-MEMS potential range from new drug delivery systems for anti-cancer agents and other drugs in finely calibrated dosages, to vastly improved diagnostic techniques based on DNA and protein analyses "on a chip" technologies, to specialized tools for minimally invasive surgery.

Microrobotics, another area that Berkeley researchers have pioneered, is included with the bio-MEMS emphasis. While MEMS and robotics are distinct research areas that have different goals, the move toward robotic miniaturization and the need for small sensors and actuator algorithms, and approaches needed for microrobotics. In the same way, the control theory, algorithms, and approaches needed for microrobotics and telesurgery are becoming increasingly important for MEMS devices. The goal of increased miniaturization and common design components link the two areas. A combined view of the two research fields will accelerate progress in both, help develop a complete curriculum, and optimized laboratory space needs for the new department.

Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing
Core Area F

Berkeley and UCSF have long been at the forefront in biomedical imaging, assisted today by the considerable resources available to both campuses, such as the Center for Functional Imaging at LBNL and the Magnetic Resonance Science Center at UCSF. Areas of bioengineering relevant to this field include instrumentation, digital system design, sensor technology, signal and image processing, visualization, and modeling of physiologic processes. Advances in imaging technology continue to expand our understanding of such problems as neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis, arthritis, psychiatric and behavioral disorders, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

The present major emphasis on quantitative analysis of morphometric and physiological properties of biological systems has resulted in an increasing need for imaging scientists with broad-based training in biological and engineering disciplines. Those involved in this research field will design new instrumentation; develop procedures to acquire microscopic, anatomic, and functional images; and implement techniques for visualizing multi-dimensional data and quantitative image analysis. Educational and research themes in this area include the use of imaging methods to study macromolecular dynamics, cells, tissue matrices, and functioning organ systems, such as the brain and heart. The instrumentation being developed and applied to biological and medical problems includes new optical methods, X-ray light source applications, high-field NMR, isotope imaging, and new methods of ultrasound imaging.

Innovations under way at Berkeley include novel superconducting materials and detectors; a new generation of laser-polarized and functionalized contrast agents; isotope techniques and functional imaging; magnetic resonance imaging without magnets; scanning, tunneling, and atomic force microscopy; laser techniques for the microscopy of cells and manipulation of single cells and even single molecules; time-resolved diffraction and microscopy of cells and molecules undergoing biochemical change; and the development of novel optoelectronic materials and nanoscale devices for observing and manipulating organisms, cells, and molecules. The Center for Imaging and Microscopy of Molecules, Organisms, and Materials would contribute to and benefit from current efforts in neuroscience, engineering, analytical and environmental science, and materials science.