The five-year-old Center for Bone and Tissue Repair and Regeneration now has a new name: the Center for Biomedical Science and Engineering. The change took effect July 1. “We believe this new name is appropriate, as we are broadening the scope of the center,” says center director Len Rahaman, professor of materials science and engineering.

Founded in 2008, the center’s initial mission was to research and develop advanced biomaterials and biosensors to help heal traumatized bones and tissues. Early projects included the development of bioactive glass scaffolds to treat bone injuries and hydroxyapatite implants to help broken bones mend themselves. But “bone is just one tissue,” Rahaman says, and recent research supported by the center encompassed a broader array of biomedical approaches. They include a urinalysis screening method to diagnose breast cancer and studies on the antibacterial properties of artificial bone implants to prevent infections.