A Message from the Director

A new era in the sciences has begun a few years back and is developing rapidly. Although different opinions may exist as to the beginning of this new era and how to name it, it is safe to say that most people would understand the term “Biotechnology Revolution” and agree that in its modern meaning it started when the technologies that allow life to be manipulated at the gene level were developed. The technologies developed are key to increasing to our understanding of basic life processes and improving life in the most diverse aspects. Biotechnology has reinvigorated our quest to improve human health with the promise of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools against all kinds of diseases and conditions, from new antibiotics and antivirals to tissue regeneration through state of the art stem cells research. Biotechnology is also the key to make food more affordable and abundant, helping to reduce the number of people that go to bed daily on an empty stomach (about 740 million in 2004), and die every day of starvation or malnutrition (nearly 40,000 people, half of them children in 2004). These are just a few among the aspects in which Biotechnology is expected to improve human life and the environment.

The Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies includes a subset of laboratories from Departments and Colleges at Cal State Fullerton that aim to catalyze the transfer of basic research into applied technologies for the benefit of human health and society. These goals are achieved in an environment where learning through research prepares undergraduate and graduate students for the quest of higher degrees or insertion into the Biotechnology industry.

Dr. Marcelo Tolmasky