Message from the Center Director:
Professor Omar Bagasra, M.D., Ph.D.

Technology has proven to be one of the most powerful catalysts of change in the biological sciences as the emphasis has shifted from Biology and computer technology to a new form of marriage between these two fields into Biotechnology. Biotechnological advancements in the medical sciences are strongly estimated to be the single-most determining factor in sustaining the future economic growth of the United States. The Office of Technology Policy of the U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that biotechnology will soon account for at least half of the nation's long-term economic growth over the next 20 years. On June 24, 03, President Bush told biotechnology leaders that their work will "help us to win the war on terror, will help us fight hunger around the world and will help us to save countless lives with new medicines." Speaking at the Bio 2003 Convention, President Bush said that his administration is committed to working with industry so that the "great powers of biotechnology" can serve the "true interests of our nation and mankind." The biotechnology industry finds itself on the front lines of some of the great challenges of our time," Bush said.

In light of this progress of the new and emerging technology, it is critical to keep our students updated and informed about the dynamic changes of biotechnology. A few years ago, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) brought a new revolution in the cloning and sequencing technologies. Currently, DNA arrays and transgenic technology appear to bring new insight into every aspect of Biotechnology. Biodefense has become the focus of the federal government and funding. In the Information Age, the most valued commodities are the skills and knowledge possessed by an individual. Biomedical scientists and technicians are being challenged, as they never have been before. Workers are expected to know how to use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics, and high-technological applications such as genetic engineering and gene cloning. Soon, DNA fingerprinting will be the most commonly used method of identification and medical record authentication. The impact of technology on all of the world’s affairs has become increasingly obvious, and its presence in our students’ academic lives is subsequently more crucial than ever before.

Information technology affects almost every business and industry through either digitally based products, services, productions, or work processes. The information/knowledge-based workplace of current leading companies requires workers to possess conceptual, analytical, communicative, interpersonal, and self-management skills beyond the basic academic and technical skills of the traditional workplace. It is my intention and goal to prepare our students to be well trained in these multiple areas of science and computers. This is not to imply that other areas of the biological sciences are less important or should be de-emphasized; all areas of science are important and our students should be exposed to every aspect of science. The incorporation of molecular biology, however, has the additional benefit of expanding their view of biotechnology and arming them with an additional tool to enhance their careers in Biotechnology.