Welcome to the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering (IBB) at Rice University!
The IBB seeks to promote interdisciplinary research and education, foster ties with the Texas Medical Center, create partnerships with industry, promote the translation of research, and facilitate strong research and training programs.
Rice University's IBB is located in the BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC). The purpose of the BRC is to provide an innovative physical and programmatic environment where scientists and educators collaborate to conduct bio-related research. It is an interdisciplinary, cross-campus, and inter-institutional resource for new and better ways to collaborate, discover, learn and lead, performing research that benefits human medicine and health.
In February 2010, the IBB's administrative headquarters moved into the BRC. This move was made possible thanks to a generous $1 million dollar gift from the Hamill Foundation, a longtime IBB sponsor. The IBB's offices are located on the first floor suite of the west-side portion of the BRC, just beneath the second-floor classrooms and facing the courtyard.
Although founded over two decades before Rice's Vision for the Second Century (V2C), the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering (IBB) serves as the prototype for the University's current aspirations. Previous IBB Directors include: Zachary T. Ball 2017-2022, K. Jane Grande-Allen 2016-2017; Rebecca Richards-Kortum 2014-2016; Yousif Shamoo 2009-2014; Jennifer L. West 2003-2008; Fred Rudolph 2002-2003; Larry McIntire 1991-2002; and George J. Schroepfer 1986-1991.
2016 marked the 30th anniversary of the IBB, which was founded by Rudolph and McIntire. Originally conceived as a means of bringing together people with research interests in the life and health sciences through infrastructure development, the IBB membership has grown to include more than 120 faculty in almost every science and engineering department at Rice, as well as members from outside the Schools of Natural Science and Engineering!
Working together, the faculty members, students, and corporate affiliates of IBB have established a broad range of dynamic research and educational programs. Diverse IBB activities are designed to enable members to seize opportunities and to gather key personnel in interdisciplinary collaborations in the course of research excellence. New fields are emerging that focus our curiosity, our creativity, and our interconnections.
We invite you to mark your calendars for our events and training programs, and to learn about the latest accomplishments of our brilliant investigators!