The Biomolecular Engineering (BME) Department within the Baskin School of Engineering features an interdisciplinary blend of engineering, biology, chemistry, and statistics designed to foster collaboration with other departments. This blend reflects our vision of the direction that biomedical discovery will take over the next two decades.
Members of the Biomolecular Engineering Department collaborate actively with faculty from other engineering departments and with the Physical and Biological Sciences departments of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Ocean Sciences.
1st
to complete a gapless sequence of a human genome
#13
best public school for making an impact (Princeton Review, 2025)
AAU
in 2019, UCSC was named to the Association of American Universities, joining just 65 other universities
6th
Distinguished Professor David Haussler ranked sixth among top scientists in computer science (Top Scientists Rankings for Computer Science and Electronics, 2021)
Discovering new vaccine targets
Researchers pinpoint a target for treating the virus that causes the stomach bug—driving forward the development of vaccines and therapies.
BME research news
Evidence suggests early developing human brains are preconfigured with instructions for understanding the world
Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering Tal Sharf’s lab used organoids to make fundamental discoveries about human brain development.
UC Santa Cruz is the top public research university in the world for highly cited researchers amid strong 2025 list
25 UC Santa Cruz researchers earned a spot on the prestigious annual list.
ARCS Foundation scholarships support 14 outstanding graduate students in science and engineering for 2025-26
The scholarships are awarded to students who show exceptional promise of making a significant contribution to the scientific and technological strength of the country.
Explore potential Biomolecular Engineering career paths
- Research Scientist
- Product Manager
- Engineer
- Field Technician
- Process Engineer
- IT Specialist/Analyst