CU Bioengineering Center lands $11M for Tissue Research

Clemson University has been awarded $11 million to expand a bioengineering center that helps mentor junior faculty members as they research how lab-grown tissue can treat some of the world’s most debilitating diseases, ranging from heart disease to spinal cord injuries. The Clemson University Media Relations Department reports that scientists expect the program will encourage an upward spiral that leads to more research dollars and helps boost the state’s growing medical-technology industry. Much of the center’s research will be done at the cutting-edge Patewood campus in Greenville. The money comes from a National Institutes of Health program that supports the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) nationwide. The Clemson one is the South Carolina Bioengineering Center of Regeneration and Formation of Tissues also know as SC BioCRAFT. Clemson University President James Clements made the announcement Wednesday, saying the grant is the largest from the NIH in the university’s history and brings the total NIH funding for the center to $20.3 million. The $11 million will pay for maintaining and upgrading state-of-the-art facilities. It also will provide funds for five junior faculty to begin their research.