Biotechnical Applications
The CEB Biotechnical Applications Section is divided into five focus areas: Nanoscale Bioscience and Biotechnology, Biosensors and Bioreporters, Gene Expression, and Cellular and Metabolic Engineering.
      The Biotechnical Applications section of CEB will perform near and long-term nanoscale bioscience and biotechnology research and development leading to potential breakthroughs in areas such as materials and manufacturing, nanoelectronics, medicine and healthcare, environment, energy, chemicals, biotechnology, agriculture, information technology, and national security. The effect of nanotechnology on the health, wealth, and lives of people could be at least as significant as the combined influences of microelectronics, medical imaging, computer-aided engineering, and man-made polymers developed in this century.
      Research within the Biotechnical Applications component of the RCE offers dramatic potential for advancing not only fundamental research, but also commercialization leading to new potential revenue streams for the RCE. Planned research includes physical prototype fabrication of BBIC devices for environmental sensing as well as applied R&D for antibiotic sensing in raw milk and chem/biosensing for deployed military personnel. Likewise, genetic engineering for sensor cell/tissue development in mammalian cells will be expanded to ultimately promote the development of implantable BBIC¹s for biomedical applications (such as the currently NIH funded, diabetes applications) and in molecular environmental toxicology and screening for bioactivity of potential pharmacological products and processes. There will also be deliberate facilitation of gene expression analysis research and creation of customized gene expression arrays. Ultimate applications of this research will extend to improving water and waste treatment technology, assuring public health and agricultural safety of water supplies. One such example will be in facilitating expression arrays for Microcystis, a contributor to toxic algae blooms threatening both potable and farm animal water supplies. Research within this group will also contribute engineered cells functioning as logic devices for the bioelectronic component of the CEB. ORNL strengths in genetic and engineered processes for photocatalytic generation of hydrogen as an alternative bioenergy fuel source represents an exemplary benefit of ORNL¹s participation in research and student training of CEB. Development from the biotechnical application research will be closely coupled to research objectives for the bioenvironmental system effort of the RCE.

Current Research Projects

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The Center for Environmental Biotechnology
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
676 Dabney Hall
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1605
865-974-8080  |  865-974-8086 (fax)