The Institutes were launched in 2000 as an ambitious statewide initiative to support research in fields that were recognized as critical to the economic growth of the state—biomedicine, bioengineering, nanosystems, telecommunications and information technology. Moreover, the Cal ISIs were conceived as a catalytic partnership between university research interests and private industry that could expand the state economy into new industries and markets and "speed the movement of innovation from the laboratory into peoples' daily lives" (Governor's Budget summary 2001-02). The four research centers operate as a partnership among the University, state government, and industry, and each involves structured collaborations among campuses, disciplines, academics researchers, research professional, and students.[2]
Campus sitesedit
The tri-campus organization includes three research branches: QB3-Berkeley, QB3-Santa Cruz, and the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI-UCSF) at the San Francisco campus.
QB3-Berkeley: The Berkeley branch of QB3 is housed in Stanley Hall along with the Department of Bioengineering,[3] but core research facilities are situated throughout campus, including the Vincent J. Coates Genomics Sequencing Lab at Weill Hall.[4] The Bakar BioEngineering Hub at Woo Hon Fai Hall houses Bakar Labs, a core incubator of QB3.[5]
QB3-Santa Cruz: At the Santa Cruz campus, QB3 forms part of the Genomics Institute and is headquartered in the Westside Research Park.[6] The space was formerly owned by Texas Instruments as a semiconductor wafer fabrication plant. The facilities include a total of approximately 242,000 gross (154,000 net) square feet, including a large "clean room," a specially designed supercomputer center, and extensive space used for classrooms, laboratories, and offices.
QBI-UCSF: QBI is situated in Byers Hall on the Mission Bay campus. Byers Hall, officially opened in 2005,[7] also hosts the QB3 director's office and QB3 central administration. Many faculty labs are in Genentech Hall, an adjoining building.
Leadershipedit
QB3 is directed by David Schaffer, a Berkeley professor with appointments in multiple departments who also directs the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub and its associated incubator, Bakar Labs.[8][9] Each participating campus has a QB3 director who also is an active research scientist: Sanjay Kumar at Berkeley, Nevan Krogan at UCSF, and David Haussler at UC Santa Cruz.
Faculty affiliatesedit
Research faculty affiliates are the foundation of QB3. QB3 has more than 250 faculty affiliates, roughly 100 each from Berkeley, UCSF, and UC Santa Cruz.[10][11] The research interests of these faculty fall under the umbrella of the quantitative biosciences. QB3 scientists tend to be bioengineers, biophysicists, or pharmaceutical or computational biologists. Synthetic biology is strongly represented. Current and former members of QB3 include Shuvo Roy, Elizabeth Blackburn, Steven Chu, Joseph DeRisi, Jennifer Doudna, David Haussler, Jay Keasling, Arun Majumdar, Harry Noller.
Researchedit
QB3 member scientists choose affiliations with one of nine research themes:
Biological imaging – visualizing biological systems at all scales: atoms, cells, organs
Cellular dynamics – biochemical and biophysical analysis of cellular processes; visualizing biological systems at all scales: atoms, cells, organs
Chemical biology – applying the tools of chemistry to biology, aiding in drug discovery and interrogation of biology
Genotype to phenotype – harvesting the information in genomes and the effect of variation
Precision measurement and control of biological systems – developing the ability to mechanically, optically or chemically alter and monitor biology for interrogation and diagnostics
Synthetic biology – design, redesign and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems
One of the primary functions of QB3 is to establish connections between scientists across various disciplines, as well as between entrepreneurial scientists and business mentors and venture capitalists. To facilitate interaction, QB3 administers specially designed buildings and core facilities that bring together researchers from different fields. Additionally, QB3 provides networking services for applied research and technology commercialization.[12] It's worth noting that QB3 is not a technology transfer office and, therefore, does not handle patent applications.
Startupsedit
QB3 assists life science entrepreneurs seeking to commercialize their research. In UC Berkeley, QB3 operates one full-service incubator, Bakar Labs, which is situated in the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub at Woo Han Fai Hall, and the smaller QB3 Garage@Berkeley space at Stanley Hall.[13]
In Westside Santa Cruz, the UC Santa Cruz-affiliated Startup Sandbox is a biotech incubator that helps entrepreneurs crystalize and innovate ideas into commercially successful businesses. The Sandbox provides an entrepreneurial environment where early-stage startups gain access to low-cost laboratory, office and shared space, resources, training, and networking opportunities.[14]
Previously, QB3 was closely involved in launching and operating incubators, including:
The QB3 Garage@UCSF, founded in September 2006.[15] (now closed)
The QB3 East Bay Innovation Center, which launched in June 2011 in West Berkeley.[16] (now closed)
MBC Biolabs, originally QB3@953 at its address of 953 Indiana St. in San Francisco, which was opened in October 2013.[17] Subsequently the incubator spun off as a private business and rebranded as MBC Biolabs, now expanded to a second location in San Carlos.[18]
QB3 is involved in a number of educational initiatives.
UC Berkeley Biophysics: In 2012 QB3 became administrators of the biophysics graduate (PhD) program at UC Berkeley.
Graduate Program in Computational and Genomic Biology: QB3 is affiliated with the doctoral program in computational and genomic biology at UC Berkeley.[20]
Moss, Elizabeth (May 27, 2022). "How Berkeley is Leaning into the Biotech Boom". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
Hicks, William (March 31, 2022). "UC Berkeley Building Goes from Brutalist to Biotech". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
Cavagnero, Mark. "Modern Redux: University of California, Berkeley's Bioenginuity Hub by MBH Architects". Architectural Record. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
^McGirk, James. "Biotech blooms on Santa Cruz's westside". UC Santa Cruz News. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
^"QB3's Inaugural Event Features Announcement of Major Partnerships with Industry | UC San Francisco". www.ucsf.edu. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
^"Berkeley's Bakar BioEnginuity Hub opens its doors | Research UC Berkeley".
^"Faculty Affiliates". California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
^"Faculty | QB3". Archived from the original on 2011-12-08. Retrieved 2011-12-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). QB3. Retrieved on 2013-11-24.
^ ab"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-12-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"QB3 Garage@Berkeley – QB3 Berkeley". qb3.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 25 December 2022.