What is Biomedical Research?

Biomedical Research: Biomedical research is the broad area of science that looks for ways to prevent and treat diseases that cause illness and death in people and in animals. This general field of research includes many areas of both the life and physical sciences. Utilizing biotechnology techniques, biomedical researchers study biological processes and diseases with the ultimate goal of developing effective treatments and cures. Biomedical research is an evolutionary process requiring careful experimentation by many scientists, including biologists and chemists. Discovery of new medicines and therapies requires careful scientific experimentation, development, and evaluation.

Biomedical Research: The area of science devoted to the study of the processes of life, the prevention and treatment of disease, and the genetic and environmental factors related to disease and health.

Basic or "pure" Research: Research conducted to increase the base knowledge and understanding of the physical, chemical, and functional mechanisms of life processes and disease. It is fundamental and not directed to solving any particular biomedical problem in humans or animals. This type of research often involves observing, describing, measuring, and experimental manipulation and provides the building blocks upon which the other types of research (applied and clinical) are based. A basic researcher seeks to add to the store of knowledge about how living things work. A basic researcher's experiments add pieces to the immensely complex puzzles of life.

Examples of Basic Research: How do nerves convey signals to the brain via biochemicals? How do taste and smell change with age? How does an octopus's body regenerate a severed tentacle?

Applied Research: Research that is directed towards specific objectives such as the development of a new drug, therapy, or surgical procedure. It involves the application of existing knowledge, much of which is obtained through basic research, to a specific biomedical problem. Applied research can be conducted with animals, nonanimal alternatives such as computer models or tissue cultures, or with humans.

Examples of Applied Research: What drug can be developed to help cure cancer of the skin? Can we "teach" a mouse's body to regenerate a severed leg?

Clinical Research: Using the knowledge gained in basic and applied research to conduct research (generally with humans) in treating disease or dysfunction in a new way orresearch that takes place in a hospital or clinical setting and is focused on treating specific human and animal diseases and other ailments. Clinical research builds upon the knowledge learned through applied and basic research. Clinical research is conducted on human beings and takes shape in treatments and drugs that directly improve human healthcare.

Examples of Clinical Research: What are the side effects of a specific new drug?

Biological Models System: A system that can be observed instead of the original system, human or animal, that is of ultimate interest to the research