|
|
 |
The Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology will consist of teams of experts assembled to
address numerous aspects of the discovery and development of new drugs and therapies by utilizing marine resources,
coupled with bioinformatics technology and cutting edge functional genomic research. The program in functional
genomics will bridge and integrate the drug discovery programs in the marine and biomedical areas. This is now
possible because of the completion of the Human Genome Project, which has provided the structure of the more than
40,000 human genes.
New marine organisms will be collected with state-of-the-art underwater vehicles and submersibles to provide
unique access to areas of untapped marine biodiversity. Extracts of these organisms will be screened for
biological activities related to human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diseases resulting
from inflammatory processes. Any compounds identified from marine sources that have unique biological activity
will be analyzed for their effect on global gene expression in affected cells using the recently acquired
Affymetrix GeneChip® machine in the Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at FAU. Sustainable supplies
of lead compounds will be developed by cloning biosynthetic genes and by cell culture/fermentation methods.
In complementary studies to the marine drug discovery program, basic biomedical research will use bioinformatics
to identify genes that are uniquely regulated in diseased cells, as well as a functional genomics approach to
understand the role of these genes and other genes in the disease process. Special emphasis will be in the areas
of cancer, diseases resulting from hypoxia and oxidative damage; such as cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative
diseases related to aging; and stem cell research. Interaction with industry at all levels of the drug discovery
process will facilitate commercialization of the research programs. The inter-relatedness of these activities is
summarized in the following flowchart (See Figure 2 - Center Lab to Market Process).
Biomedical •
Marine Biotechnology •
Ocean Engineering •
Publications
|
|
