Life itself is a chemical process, from the way cells divide to how biological organisms convert nutrients to energy. Researchers in our Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering are examining the inner workings of living systems to help make life better—from advancing drug-delivery systems to improving disease detection to tissue engineering and more.

Our research projects range from massive, NIH- and DARPA-funded initiatives to collaborations with biomedical industry giants and nimble startups alike. Our researchers are decoding cellular metabolism to understand how to better coax stem cells to transform into cartilage that could be used to repair damaged joints. They’re improving blood transfusions with a targeted drug-delivery device that pumps more oxygen into stored blood products. And they’re developing advanced biochemical-based sensors to better detect a range of diseases. We collaborate closely with Case Western Reserve’s School of Medicine and our Department of Biomedical Engineering, and our proximity to four world-class hospital systems—Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center—gives us prime access to field-leading clinical partners to advance our biomolecular engineering discoveries.