Biotechnology and Biomolecular Engineering are rapidly expanding areas in our department. More than half of our faculty have some or all of their research efforts in these areas. Specific research projects include development of novel drug delivery devices, engineering of enzymatic catalysts for industrial synthesis, design of materials for tissue engineering, microfluidic systems that enable cell biology studies, metabolic engineering and bioinformatics. Because of this depth, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering is a center of excellence for bioengineering research at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Due to the strong presence of biotechnology and bioengineering faculty across campus, the presence of the Institute for Genomic Biology, and state-funded initiatives to spur stem cell research and growth of the biotechnology industry in Illinois, UIUC is poised to become a biotechnology powerhouse as we enter the age of biology.
- Richard D. Braatz – Simulation, design, and control of biological systems
- Steve Granick – Phospholipid membranes, proteins, and nanoparticles
- Brendan A. Harley – Engineered cellular microstructures and microenvironments for tissue
engineering
- Paul J.A. Kenis – Microfluidic tools for protein crystallization, cell cycle kinetics, and cell-signaling pathways
- H. Joon Kong – Design of bio-inspired materials, engineering of stem cells, and tissue engineering
- Mary L. Kraft – Composition imaging tools for cells and biomaterials
- Deborah E. Leckband – Surface physical-chemical approaches to understand and engineer the biology-material interface
- Daniel W. Pack – Design and synthesis of drug delivery systems and gene therapy vectors
- Nathan D. Price – Reconstruction and analysis of genome-scale biomolecular networks with primary focus on applications for medicine and bioenergy
- Christopher V. Rao – Comparative genomics, pathway engineering and bacterial pathogenesis
- Charles M. Schroeder – Single-molecule tools for biotechnology and biophysics
- Huimin Zhao – Directed evolution technologies to
engineer new genes, proteins, pathways, and genomes
