Facts and figures 2007–2008

College information | CBS by the numbers | Timeline

College information

Structure

In 1998, Dean Robert Elde led a University-wide reorganization to consolidate and realign departments in order to strengthen biological sciences and raise the University’s national standing. The College of Biological Sciences’ (CBS) current structure grew out of that effort. Here’s a quick overview:

• The Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics and the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development are shared with the Medical School.
• The Department of Plant Biology is shared with the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS).
• The Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior remains exclusive to CBS with close ties to CFANS, which administers the Bell Museum of Natural History.
• The Department of Neuroscience and the Department of Microbiology—both part of the Medical School—are affiliated with CBS.
• The BioTechnology Institute is a joint effort of CBS and the Institute of Technology.
• CBS also operates two field stations—Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, the birthplace of ecosystem science, and Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories—used for education programs, field research and public outreach.

Research ititiatives

The Molecular and Cellular Biology Initiative, also launched in 1998, provided funding for the new organizational structure. Through this initiative, the state and the University have invested more than $140 million for new research facilities and faculty recruitment. The current focus is on increasing financial support for graduate programs.

The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE), part of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, has connected 400 faculty, research scientists and students Universitywide to develop renewable resources for energy and materials. IREE has awarded $19 million for 130 renewable energy projects ranging from hydrogen fuel cells to biorefining to public education about renewable energy. IREE-funded research has also produced 47 journal publications and 14 technology disclosures. New legislation enacted in 2007 will increase support for IREE, ensure its continuity, and broaden the focus to include energy and products produced by biomass, wind, solar, hydro, geothermal processes, microorganisms and other renewable resources. The new funding will enable IREE to build on the successes of the last five years as well as tackle larger and more complex interdisciplinary projects. Robert Elde, CBS dean, chairs IREE’s executive committee.

The proposed Initiative for Cellular Dynamics and Imaging is a new effort to focus and strengthen the University’s capabilities for viewing biological processes at the cellular level, which is key to understanding these processes. CBS, the Medical School and the Institute of Technology are collaborating on this effort.

The Consortium for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology is an interdisciplinary research program emphasizing research on mathematical modeling of cell dynamics, statistical analysis of large databases, population genomics, proteomics, and interactions of environmental and geographical factors with biological systems. This new entity supports the increasing role of mathematics in research by CBS faculty.

CBS continues to engage beyond the college by participating in new collaborative, interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Institute for the Advancement of Science and Engineering, while maintaining strong support for growth in biological sciences education and research.

Research facilities

The College of Biological Sciences shares several world-class research, education and outreach facilities.

• Biodale, CBS’ one-stop shop for research support services, houses $40 million in bioscience research equipment that is available to faculty and industry scientists.
• The Cargill Building for Microbial and Plant Genomics provides a hub for genomics researchers University-wide. Faculty conduct basic research in functional genomics of microbes and crop plants to identify innovative ways to make crops more resistant to disease and drought, clean up the environment and improve human health.
• The Molecular and Cellular Biology Building creates a community for learning and research where faculty and students work together, and interaction among disciplines is encouraged.
• University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL) is a non-profit entity that provides lab space for biotech start-up companies. Sponsors include Xcel Energy, 3M, Allina, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Dorsey & Whitney, Ecolab, Guidant Corporation and Surmodics.

Academics

CBS faculty conduct basic research on a range of applications in human health, agriculture, biotechnology and environmental sciences. They regularly publish discoveries in top scientific journals, including Science and Nature, and are recognized for teaching and research excellence with honors from the University’s Academy for Distinguished Teachers to the National Academy of Sciences.

CBS undergraduate students are among the most qualified at the University. More than 60 percent of this year’s freshman class graduated in the top 5 percent of their high school class and their average ACT score is 28.6. The number of applicants for undergraduate programs has been climbing steadily in recent years with thousands of applicants vying for several hundred spots each year.