Center for Bioactive Delivery

The Center for Bioactive Delivery (CBD) at UMass Amherst is advancing the field to a predictive science–a fundamental break from its empirical, single application roots. Our teams are developing fundamental carrier design principles that integrate an understanding of the bioactives from the onset and apply them to various disease models.The long-term objective is to develop reliable, predictive models for optimized drug/carrier systems. This focus on synergies between the bioactive compound (and its delivery needs) to a suitable carrier solution creates a new paradigm for drug and nutrient delivery.

Fine-tuning drug and nutraceutical delivery is a multidimensional challenge that remains a critical and often unsolved issue in product development. At the heart of the Center are organized multidisciplinary teams focused on finding solutions within this complex landscape.

Drawing on over two decades of polymer science, biological and engineering research at UMass Amherst, the Center for Bioactive Delivery was established in 2013 to advance translational research and support life sciences-driven economic development. The Center is one of three, supported with more than $150 million in capital investments to date by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and UMass Amherst as part of the university’s new Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS).