UWEB Overview

UWEB (University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials) is...

a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, a partnership between academia and industry

• professors, students and companies focusing on robust, manufacturable biomaterials that are specifically recognized by biological systems and that enhance the healing and integration of those materials upon implantation;
  
  
• an investment in the basic biology of wound healing to provide the information needed for rational engineering of healing biomaterials;
  
  
• control of the macrophage by receptor interactions to promote healing and integration;
  
  
• a new engineering based upon nanoassembly and molecular orientation of specific receptor units;
  
  
• a novel "delivery" mode for peptides and receptors offering high reactivity and inhibition of non-specific reactions via tight surface structure control;
  
  
• a new materials science emphasizing molecular design, molecular engineering and optimized surfaces;_
  
  
• a closer partnership between academia and industry with protection of IP for our industry partners;
  
  
• a paradigm shift in how biomaterials work and how we control healing. We, the bioengineers, will take charge of directing healing to meet specific needs;
  
  
• a modern, interdisciplinary curriculum to train a new generation of students needed to populate a new biomaterials industry;
  
  
• a focus on enhancing ethnic and cultural diversity within the science and engineering communities.