UC Santa Barbara will receive $3.2 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to support development of a state-of-the-art facility for UCSB’s newly established Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering, according to a May 7 announcement by CIRM. The renovation project has a total budget of $6.3 million.

Research in the new center addresses challenges in stem cell biology related to the molecular mechanisms of pluripotency (the ability of the stem cell to become any other type of cell in the body), self-renewal and differentiation, using both human embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and stem cells in simpler organisms. Bioengineering research in the center will investigate novel methods for stem cell growth, differentiation, sorting, and delivery via interdisciplinary application of technologies in biomaterials, nanosystems, and systems biology.

The long-term goal of the center is the development of stem cell-based therapeutics for a range of human diseases. A Web site about the center is located at: <www.stemcell.ucsb.edu>.

“The CIRM Special Project will provide crucial funding that will greatly stimulate growth of stem cell research on the UCSB campus,” said Dennis Clegg, chair of the Department of Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology (MCDB). “It will facilitate new, interdisciplinary research projects that would otherwise be impossible due to federal restrictions and lack of suitable space.”

The UCSB project will renovate 10,337 square feet in Biological Sciences 2, a seven-story building in the life sciences section of campus.

“With this CIRM grant, we will build a state-of-the-art laboratory facility as the centerpiece of the new Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering,” said Michael Witherell, vice chancellor for research. “The completion of this project will be a very important milestone for stem cell research at UCSB. We are ready to go.”