CONSORTIA/INSTITUTIONS
SCRIPPS/CMBB
Located at the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine (CMBB) is a campuswide UCSD research division dedicated to the exploration of the novel and diverse resources of the ocean. Research programs focus on marine biomedicine and marine drug discovery, with an emphasis on cancer and both infectious and inflammatory diseases. CMBB scientists investigate a wide range of biotechnologies, from the special properties of deep-sea marine microbes to the genetic engineering of commercially viable marine animals. CMBB is unique. Nowhere else in the world is research of such magnitude being conducted on the biomedical potential of marine resources. The program integrates Scripps's leading expertise in marine science with the frontline medical research activities of the UCSD School of Medicine. The combined efforts represent an unprecedented approach to the development of new drugs and the fight against disease. CMBB has established its remarkable research programs by encouraging collaboration among scientists from many disciplines and departments on the UCSD campus. Further, its location near the La Jolla high-tech community provides exciting opportunities for interaction with many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. An important goal is to foster involvement by the local biotech community in accessing marine resources, in placing CMBB graduate students within local industry, and in developing joint programs in marine biomedicine. CMBB is also fostering collaborations with other cancer research foundations such as the Burnham Institute in La Jolla. [Summary provided by CMBB.]