Special Programs
The Center for Developmental and Molecular Biology (CDMB):
Mammalian Tissue Culture, Immuno-modulation and Lytic Peptide Research.
The CDMB was established through the support of the Utah Centers of Excellence Program (COEP) in July, 1993. Research in the Center focuses on:
- Primary cell culture medium development. Researchers at HyClone Laboratories, Inc. working in conjunction with scientists in the ADVS and other departments at USU have developed a lymphocyte culture fluid (LCF) that out-performs all other culture media in the culture of lymphocytes (LCF) and embryos (ECF). Work is also focusing on hemopoietic and embryonic stem cell establishment and maintenance medium development.
- Lytic peptide expression and expression vector design. Researchers in the Center have evaluated, developed, synthesized and characterized several synthetic chemotherapeutic peptides referred to as lytic peptides. These peptides have been shown to be effective against a number of diseases that currently are either very difficult or impossible to treat with conventional therapy.
- Bioproduction of therapeutic proteins in mammary secretions of transgenic animals.
- Higher efficiency of transgenic animal production (mouse, rabbit, goat and cattle). This work also involved production of agriculturally important transgenic animals by use of embryonic stem cells.
Director of the CDMB is Kenneth L. White. Co-Principal Investigators from the ADVS Department are: Thomas D. Bunch and John D. Morrey.