Introduction to the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering The expression of genes and the structures and the functions of the gene products such as RNAs and proteins regulate biological functions within the organisms. Dysregulation in these biological molecules caused from either external (such as microbes) or internal (such as tumors) factors may incur diseases in humans. Therefore detection and understanding the structural information and functional mechanisms of DNAs, RNAs, and proteins at the molecular level have become key research directions in molecular medicine in the 21st century. These knowledges are crucial for developing therapeutic methods that can regulate gene expressions and protein functions

The National Chiao Tung University is set to develop strategies that combine basic and applied sciences in response to the rapid evolution of knowledge and challenges from global sustainability in the 21st century. Within these strategies is a focus on cross-disciplinary researches between basic sciences, molecular medicine, and bioengineering. Furthermore, following the completion of the human genome maps, academic research and the biotechnology industry have entered the post-genome era. Basic researches in molecular medicine and bioengineering applications are expected to accelerate due to large amounts of genomic and proteomic information.

Based on the strategic plan of Chiao Tung University, the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering (IMMB) was established and affiliated to the College of Biological Science and Technology in 2009. As an education and research institute, IMMB aims to train students with proficient knowledge in molecular mechanisms of cell physiology and disease pathogeneses. We also aim to cultivate student capable of integrating different fields such as molecular detection and biomaterials for leading-edge researches in basic and applied biomedical sciences.

We in IMMB inquire scientific knowledge in biomedicine and develop applications based on molecular and cellular biology. Our main research themes include exploration of physiology and pathology of cells and organisms from cellular and molecular level and developments of biomaterials for diagnosis and therapy. These research themes cover various scopes such as basic cell biology, structural biology, mechanisms of diseases, immunology, tumor biology, biological sensing and diagnosis, and nanomaterials. On the basis of past achievements, we will continue to deepen basic researches in molecular medicine and develop novel theranostic applications.