UCR bioengineer is named among top 'One Hundred Engineers of the Modern Era'
10:00 PM PDT on Monday, July 14, 2008
By ELAINE REGUS
The Press-Enterprise
Jerome Schultz is a curious man.
Curious about how kidneys separate good molecules from toxic ones.
Curious about whether molecules from a jellyfish could be used to help diabetics monitor their glucose.
Story continues below
Kurt Miller / The Press-Enterprise
UCR bioengineering department Chairman Jerome Schultz founded the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering.
And, curious about what Noah's Ark in the 21st century would look like.
Throughout his career, Schultz, chairman of UC Riverside's Department of Bioengineering, has parlayed that curiosity into dozens of major educational, scientific and medical contributions.
That is why Schultz has been listed among the top One Hundred Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The institute is devoting its centennial year to recognizing individuals who made advancements in chemical engineering in the years after World War II, along with authors of groundbreaking books, industry executives, astronauts and others.
Institute spokesman Stephen R. Smith said Schultz was selected for his work in a variety of areas, including the development of synthetic membranes.
While at the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1987, Schultz said he became curious about how certain organs such as kidneys separate good molecules from toxic molecules. His research led to the development of membranes that can be used in artificial kidneys and to purify water.
Schultz and the others will be honored at the group's annual meeting in November.
After viewing a partial list of recipients, Schultz said he was humbled to be in the company of such great people. They might say the same about him.
Molecules to Medicine
Schultz's career began in 1958 at a pharmaceutical company where he developed techniques that lead to the manufacture of antibiotics and steroids in large quantities.
After six years, he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan where he began working with physicians in what became biomedical engineering.
Schultz spent 16 years, from 1987 to 2003, at the University of Pittsburgh where he established the Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering and created a new bioengineering department.
He developed a glucose sensor using optical techniques that can be implanted under the skin to provide continuous and noninvasive glucose monitoring for diabetics.
Currently, most diabetics monitor their glucose by pricking their fingers four or five times a day, Schultz said. He paired fluorescent proteins from jellyfish with proteins from a bacterium to create a hollow fiber tube the width of a human hair that changes colors in the presence of glucose.
Patients could wear a device like a watch that contains a light source and a photocell that would detect the proteins' fluorescent level and convert it to a readout of blood-glucose level.
One of Schultz's most intriguing ideas, the Noah's Ark Project, never got off the ground.
Story continues below
Kurt Miller / The Press-Enterprise
Jerome Schultz came to UCR in 2004 to start a bioengineering department and started the Center for Bioengineering in January.
He was working at NASA's Ames Research Center in the Bay Area in 2001 while on leave from Pittsburgh.
"One of NASA's goals is trying to figure out how life started, if there is life on other planets and the possibility of having missions to go to other planets," Schultz said.
He proposed the development of a biological toolbox that could be incorporated into future space missions.
People on the spaceship would then have the biological components to manufacture food and materials to sustain them on the long voyage.
Schultz calculated that if you took 1,000 cells from each of the 5 million or so species on Earth and put them in a beaker, the total volume would be about one cup of material.
"You don't have to take elephants, giraffes and so forth," he said. "You just have to take the cells."
NASA didn't buy it, but Schultz said the concept is still very much alive in his head.
Toward the Future
One of the most important contributions Schultz made to promote the profession was founding the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering 15 years ago to give biological engineers some lobbying clout for funding.
Most of the biomedical research funding at the time went to physicians. The engineers were considered more like partners, Schultz said.
The organization was formed to demonstrate "that engineers can conceive and develop new ideas and not only be the partners or assistants of the medical people," Schultz said.
The National Institutes of Health ultimately established the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which is one of the major organizations to fund the work of bioengineers, he said.
Schultz came to UCR in 2004 to start a bioengineering department as part of the Bourns College of Engineering. He launched the Center for Bioengineering in January that will focus on using new optical techniques to dissect and understand the physiology of cells similar to what MRIs or CT scans do with the human body.
Reza Abbaschian, dean of the Bourns College of Engineering, called Schultz a visionary.
Schultz's greatest contribution, Abbaschian said, has been establishing bioengineering departments at two major universities thereby creating an environment for bioengineering and research.
"He has had an impact in the whole field rather than one specific research project," Abbaschian said.
UCR is likely the last stop for Schultz, whose career has spanned half a century. He turned 75 two weeks ago and has been getting pressure from some family members to retire. But he doesn't sound like he's ready just yet.
"I enjoy what I'm doing," Schultz said. "It's very exciting starting a new department, helping young faculty and working with students."
Reach Elaine Regus at 951-368-9478 or