Bioscience & Technology Incubator
Bioscience Excellence at UC Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and Startup Sandbox are collaborating to commercialize research in molecular RNA, genomics, bioinformatics, nanopore sequencing, medical devices, chemistry and biochemistry. If your research aligns with these Areas of Excellence, then the Sandbox is the right place for you to change the world.
Molecular RNA
The Center For Molecular Biology of RNA is the largest group of RNA laboratories in the world. Spanning UCSC's Departments of Molecular Cell & Development Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry and Biomolecular Engineering, it fosters new, creative interdisciplinary research.
Genomics
The Genomics Institute at UCSC creates advanced technologies and platforms to unravel evolutionary patterns, molecular processes and the underpinnings of disease. It creates global communities that formulate and deploy data-driven, life-saving treatments and innovative environmental efforts. The Institute's Genome Browser combines the world's largest public genome database with advanced analysis and visualization software for comparing diseased and healthy RNA.
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics leads to unlocking patterns in big data that enable Translational Science and Precision Medicine. Bioinformatics combines advance data management and analytics to discover relationships and hidden meaning in genomic sequences. The National Cancer Institute has designated the Genomics Institute as its genomics hub.
Nanopore Technology
Nanopore-sequencing technology invented at UCSC is revolutionizing the study of the function and fate of RNA in the cell. Nanopore detectors are built around a membrane containing a tiny pore called an ion channel, just big enough to allow a single strand of DNA or RNA to pass through, enabling sequencing devices that are fast, compact, and portable.
Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Chemistry and Biochemistry efforts at UCSC and Startup Sandbox include physical, biophysical, biochemistry, organic, bioorganic, inorganic and bioinorganic disciplines. Collaboration with UCSC faculty blurs those disciplinary boundaries to arm researchers with an arsenal of specialized synthetic, instrumental and computational strategies.