Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering at UC Santa Barbara

Overview

The mission of the UCSB Center in Stem Cell Biology and Engineering is to foster an interdisciplinary program of stem cell research and teaching in the emerging field of regenerative medicine.

Three general areas of stem cell research are being investigated: Molecular Mechanisms, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, and Regenerative Medicine. Combining these approaches, researchers are able to investigate targeted diseases in a multidisciplinary fashion.

Training

A grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was awarded to UCSB to develop a graduate and postdoctoral training program in stem cell research.

Facilities

A shared laboratory has been established free of federal funding to allow research on all stem cell lines.

Research Spotlight

Versatile High-Throughput Microarrays

A versatile, high-throughput platform has been developed to investigate molecular and cellular interactions, including stem cell adhesion. As recently reported in the journal Nature Chemistry by UCSB graduate student Nalini Gupta, Prof. Craig J. Hawker (Director, Materials Research Laboratory) and colleagues in the Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering and other units, this novel microarray system employs thio-lene chemistry to synthesize hydrogels with covalently attached molecules that can be screened for interactions with cells or other molecules.