The Functions of Genes
Scientists at the University of Rochester and the J. Craig Venter Institute have discovered a copy of the genome of a bacterial parasite residing inside the genome of its host species.
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Nanoscience for Medicine
The University plans to completely renovate and equip the Institute of Optics Annex building, adjoining the Wilmot building and Robert B. Goergen Hall for Biomedical Engineering and Optics. The center will be open to researchers from a variety of disciplines across the University's campuses, and will focus primarily on greatly expanding the current research on fuel cells and biosensors.
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Alternative Energy
Ching Tang, father of the multi-billion-dollar organic light-emitting diode (OLED) industry, has been named the Doris Johns Cherry Professor. The world leader in organic electronics including OLEDs and solar cells, Tang, who also is professor of chemical engineering and of chemistry, is the first to hold the new chair.
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Science and Engineering Partnerships
- Jump to information about:
- Computational and Physical Biology
- Discovering the Functions of Genes
- Nanoscience for Medicine
- Alternative Energy
Living organisms are highly organized systems of immense complexity, they are made of marvelously engineered materials, they reproduce and repair themselves, they are incredibly energy efficient, and they store and manipulate information in ways no modern computer can. They present fundamental challenges to scientists and engineers in all disciplines, so it is natural that they be a focus for several initiatives.
Each of the following initiatives capitalizes on a special strength and/or opportunity. In three of them, unusual strengths in the College, or a special partnership with the School of Medicine and Dentistry, will enable us to make a mark in emerging domains. A fourth science and engineering initiative on alternative energy connects us with the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.
Computational and Physical Biology
The biological, physical and formal sciences are coming together in diverse domains, ranging from areas such as computational neuroscience to physical biology, to bioinformatics—opening up new areas of study in the formal and physical sciences, and bringing powerful new approaches to the study of biological problems.
This initiative will allow us to mount new BS degrees in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and to offer several new PhD tracks in bioinformatics, computational biology, biological physics, and neural computation.
Discovering the Functions of Genes
Rapid developments have brought the field of genome science surprisingly quickly to the point of knowing the structure of the genome. The problem is now to understand the functions of genes. One of the most promising approaches to identifying the function of genes is through comparative and functional genomics, which compares the same genes in different species that share particular structures or functions.
We have an internationally recognized group of faculty in evolutionary biology (a field crucial to the next stage of analysis) around whom we can build a distinguished program.
- The curricular opportunities are substantial:
- Introduction of a new BS degree in Genome Biology
- Opportunities for Master's and/or certificate programs in Genomics
- Expansion of the Genetics, Genomics and Development graduate cluster
We expect our investments in faculty to be complemented by a corresponding investment by the Medical School. The initiative will establish our research presence in an absolutely essential domain of 21st century biology.
Nanoscience for Medicine
Nanoscience (the study of phenomena and materials at atomic and molecular scales, where their properties differ from those at larger scales) is a multidisciplinary domain that has been developing rapidly for 20 years. We have a special opportunity (in partnership with the School of Medicine and Dentistry) to make a mark through an initiative focused on applications in medicine. Nanomedicine is a relatively new, but growing, field in which we are well placed to make an impact.
The initiative offers powerful opportunities for engaging undergraduates in research, and for a minor and clusters. There might also be potential for a graduate certificate program.
Our investment in faculty would be complemented by new faculty appointments in the Medical School. The initiative offers a niche opportunity for distinction in research.
Alternative Energy
Energy for sustainable development is a problem of huge importance—one that involves a broad range of science disciplines and also those social sciences concerned with economics and public policy. We have an opportunity to capitalize on the strength of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics to develop some prominence in alternative fuels and technologies.
Solar Energy
Our opportunity in solar energy lies in advancing development of organic photovoltaic devices for direct conversion of sunlight into electricity. These devices are inefficient and expensive, and fundamental research and development are necessary to make them economically viable. We have core faculty strengths around which we can build to make advances on these problems.
Hydrogen Fuel
Fuel cells produce electricity directly, without combustion, from the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen, creating only water as waste. At present, fuel cells are expensive, and lack the performance and durability needed to be economically viable. We have a group of strong faculty, spanning several departments, working on these problems, and we are near (and have ties to) two major industrial research labs working on fuel cells.
Opportunities for undergraduate programs in energy are greatest where they bring science into contact with policy, through potential new BS degrees in energy sciences, in energy and the environment, and corresponding minors and clusters.