The Center for Robust, Equitable and Accessible Technology and Education (CREATE) for Next Generation BioFoundries is an NSF initiative, led by the University of Delaware, to develop advanced automation and software tools for high-throughput design of biological systems. This project aims to democratize access to modern biotechnology by making biofoundry operations faster and more cost-effective, while also creating educational tools for workforce development. The center's goal is to accelerate scientific discovery and the translation of biotechnology by empowering scientists and engineers through user-friendly technology.
Mark Blenner, Thomas and Kipp Gutshall Career Development Associate Professor in UD’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and affiliated faculty member with the Microbiology Graduate Program, is the principal investigator on the project, which involves researchers at UD, Penn State and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
The recipients of a $2 million grant from NSF, the UD-led team is creating the NSF Center for Robust, Equitable and Accessible Technology (CREATE) for Next-Generation BioFoundries to democratize access to the tools of modern biotechnology. The project team aims to provide users from academia and industry with automation and design tools to rapidly produce proteins, biosensors and bacteriophage products commonly used in biotechnology research.