Research

QB3 researchers make fundamental scientific discoveries that lead to applications in areas such as medical diagnostics, pharmacological therapy, and biofuels. Research conducted by our faculty falls into one or more of eight themes:

	Biological imaging Visualizing biological systems at all scales: atoms, cells, organs.
	Synthetic biology Design, redesign, and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems.
	Biomolecular structure and mechanism Structure, function, and dynamics of macromolecules.
	Chemical biology Applying the tools of chemistry to biology, aiding in drug discovery and interrogation of biology.
	Precision measurement and control of biological systems Developing the ability to mechanically, optically, or chemically alter and monitor biology for interrogation and diagnostics.
	Genotype to phenotype Harvesting the information in genomes and the effect of variation.
	Theoretical modeling of biological systems Theoretical and computational analysis of macromolecules, biological systems, and interpretation of experimental data.
	Cellular dynamics Biochemical and biophysical analysis of cellular processes.

Affiliated centers

QB3 is affiliated with several Bay Area research centers that offer specialized services to scientists and bring expertise and technology to bear on pressing biological challenges.

Synthetic biology

The Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC) at UC Berkeley is a multi-institution research effort that lays the foundation for the emerging field of synthetic biology, which combines bioscience and engineering to design and build novel biological functions and systems.

The Berkeley Center for Synthetic Biology gives scientists and engineers the chance to pool their talents and collaborate in new ways, with enormous potential benefits for California’s citizens in the form of advances in biomedicine, renewable energy, and economic growth.

The UCSF/UCB Center for Engineering Cellular Control Systems (also known as the Cell Propulsion Lab) brings together researchers studying cellular control and motility with the goal of engineering cells with novel "smart" therapeutic function.

Energy solutions

The Energy Biosciences Institute at UC Berkeley is a new research and development organization that harnesses advanced knowledge in biology, the physical sciences, engineering, and environ­mental and social sciences to devise viable solutions to global energy challenges and reduce the impact of fossil fuels to global warming.

Computational biology

The Berkeley Center for Computational Biology aims to advance our understanding of the molecular processes that underlie life, and to inform the development of medical treatment.

The Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics (RBVI) is an NIH National Center for Research Resources Biomedical Technology Resource Center. RBVI staff develop software and advanced web-based resources for the integrated visualization and analysis of molecular structure at scales ranging from atomic to supramolecular.

Biomedical research

The Bay Area Physical Sciences-Oncology Center is a multi-institution center created to apply advanced tools and techniques from the physical sciences to the development of cancer diagnostics and treatment.

The HARC Research Center at UCSF Mission Bay is an interdisciplinary research center aimed at creating a comprehensive structural picture of interactions between HIV viral proteins and intracellular host molec­ules at early stages in the viral lifecycle.

The Membrane Protein Expression Center at UCSF Mission Bay develops and applies the latest innovative methods yielding structur­ally and functionally intact eukaryotic membrane proteins for drug development, and structural and functional characterization.

The Small Molecule Discovery Center at UCSF Mission Bay assists UC researchers in the identification of small molecules that modulate bio­chemical or cellular processes and have the potential to alter disease states.

The UCSF Nikon Imaging Center, developed in partnership with Nikon Instruments Inc. and Technical Instruments, is an intellectual com­mons that provides investigators access to cutting-edge microscopy resources with a particular emphasis on developing novel imaging solutions to systems biology challenges.

The QB3 Cross-Campus INSTINCT Program (Informatics Supporting Therapy in Individualized Clinical Trials) at UCSF Parnassus helps to train postdoctoral fellows, bring together interdisciplinary faculty, and provide unique opportunities for innovation in disease management.