The Center unites investigators from ten departments in three schools (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Medicine, and School of Arts and Sciences) to provide, not only new directions for the life sciences, but also for engineering in a two-way flow essential to fully realizing the benefits of the intersection of biology with nanotechnology.

The research program is structured around two major themes (Biomolecular Function and Molecular Motions) and two cross cutting initiatives (Single Molecule Probes and Ethics).