Cancer Engineering & Biological Systems Program
Accelerating the development, evaluation, and translation of transformational anticancer compounds.
Program Leaders
Brendan Harley
Professor
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Erik Nelson
Professor
Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Themes
1. Anticancer Chemistry
The Anticancer Chemistry Theme advances the fundamental science of chemical synthesis and develops compounds relevant to cancer. We exploit advances in AI-mediated design, microfabricated reactors, and synthesis concepts to design, synthesize, and derivate potential anticancer compounds at unprecedented scales.
2. Comparative and Engineered Oncology Models
The Comparative and Engineered Oncology Models Theme leverages natural and engineered models to facilitate the translation of therapies. We invent and use modern bioengineering methods (microfabrication, synthetic biology, and materials science) to design tissue-engineered systems that mimic aspects of human cancers. Both models are used to study cancer progression and test therapies.
3. Mechanistic and Quantitative Biology
The Mechanistic & Quantitative Biology Theme studies fundamental biological processes relevant to cancer, mainly focusing on emerging cancer metabolism and spatial biology concepts. One important direction is to develop tools for whole-cell computational models and use them to simulate and visualize the quantitative biology of cancer-related cellular processes.