Many important research questions require solutions that integrate chemical engineering principles with modern molecular and cell biology approaches. These solutions are relevant to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and life science industries. Our faculty and students are developing novel biomaterials and cell-based therapies for regenerative medicine, uncovering the molecular design principles of biological systems using precision experiments and computer simulations, producing renewable fuels and chemicals using cellular factories, and creating and delivering new medicines for curing disease. This research involves many disciplines including biomaterials and tissue engineering, stem cell biotechnology, immunoengineering, biophotonics and biomedical imaging, computational biology, cellular and metabolic engineering, single molecule biophysics, bionanotechnology and nanomedicine, and drug and gene delivery. Our collaborations with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), various biotech and biopharma companies, and national laboratories ensure that significant findings are positioned for rapid translation to clinical or industrial practice.
