About

Located at the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine (CMBB) is a campus wide UC San Diego research division dedicated to the exploration of the ocean and its connection to improving human health. Research programs focus on marine resources, from genes and molecules to organisms and ecosystems, that hold promise in the betterment of our wellbeing. CMBB scientists investigate a wide range of biotechnologies, from the special properties of deep-sea marine microbes to applications of transgenic “model” marine organisms.

CMBB is unique. Nowhere else in the world is research of such magnitude being conducted on the biomedical potential of marine resources. The program integrates Scripps's leading expertise in marine science with the frontline medical research activities of the UC San Diego Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy. The combined efforts represent an unprecedented approach to the development of new drugs, model organisms, and novel epidemiological technologies to track and treat disease.

CMBB has established its remarkable research programs by encouraging collaboration among scientists from many disciplines and departments on the UC San Diego campus. Further, its location near the La Jolla high-tech community provides exciting opportunities for interaction with many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. An important goal is to foster interaction with the local biotech community to access marine resources, place CMBB graduate students within local industry, and foster new collaborations across the La Jolla mesa.