FAU Launches New Center for Omics Technologies and Data Engineering

DNA, Data, Computer

By gisele galoustian | 1/30/2026

CODE Snapshot: FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has launched the Center for Omics Technologies and Data Engineering (CODE), an interdisciplinary research hub that advances engineering-driven innovation at the intersection of computation, data science, and the life sciences. By uniting expertise in engineering, computer science and medicine, CODE focuses on developing scalable and interpretable computational methods to extract insight from complex biological and environmental data, positioning FAU at the forefront of data-intensive biological and biomedical discovery.

Led by Michael DeGiorgio, Ph.D., CODE integrates diverse omics approaches – including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and epigenomics – to build predictive models of living systems and address challenges in health, biotechnology and the environment. The center supports research spanning population and cancer genomics, synthetic biology, biomanufacturing and AI-driven analytics, while fostering collaboration with industry, health care systems and government partners. Located in the Engineering East building on FAU’s Boca Raton campus, CODE will provide students and postdoctoral researchers with hands-on interdisciplinary training and real-world research opportunities.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University has launched the Center for Omics Technologies and Data Engineering (CODE), a new interdisciplinary research hub designed to advance engineering-driven innovation at the intersection of computation, data science, and the life sciences. CODE positions FAU at the forefront of data-intensive biological and biomedical discovery by uniting expertise in engineering, computer science and medicine to address complex challenges in health, biotechnology and the environment.

CODE focuses on the development of scalable, robust and interpretable computational and engineering methods that transform massive, complex biological and environmental datasets into actionable insight.

“CODE represents a major step forward for Florida Atlantic and for South Florida’s growing technology and biotechnology ecosystem,” said Stella Batalama, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “The center unites engineering excellence with the life sciences to address some of the most pressing challenges in health and biotechnology. CODE will not only power groundbreaking research but will also cultivate a highly skilled workforce prepared to lead in emerging fields where computation, artificial intelligence, and omics technologies converge.”

Central to the center’s mission is the integration and analysis of omics data – including genomics (DNA variation and gene structure), transcriptomics (gene expression), proteomics (protein structure and function), metabolomics (cellular metabolic processes), and epigenomics (regulatory modifications affecting gene activity). By combining these layers of biological information, CODE researchers aim to build a more complete and predictive understanding of living systems across scales.

The center is led by Michael DeGiorgio, Ph.D., director of CODE, and associate chair and professor in FAU’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Department of Biomedical Engineering. Under his leadership, CODE brings together senior faculty from engineering, computer science and medicine, alongside research scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and a large cohort of graduate students. This interdisciplinary team offers end-to-end expertise, from experimental design and generation of multi-omics data to advanced computational analysis, algorithm development, and the translation of discoveries into deployable tools and engineered biological and biomedical solutions.

“CODE creates a unique opportunity to rethink how we study biology and engineer solutions for human health and the environment,” said DeGiorgio. “By bringing together advanced computation, data engineering, and multi-omics technologies under one roof, we can move beyond isolated analyses toward integrated, predictive models of complex biological systems. This center empowers our faculty and students to ask bigger questions, tackle problems at unprecedented scale, and translate data into knowledge that can drive real-world innovation.”

Research conducted through CODE spans a broad range of application areas, including population and cancer genomics, where large-scale genomic datasets are used to identify genetic risk factors and disease mechanisms; multi-omics data integration, enabling researchers to connect molecular variation to biological function and clinical outcomes; and molecular and metabolic engineering, which supports the design and optimization of engineered biological systems.

Additional focus areas include synthetic biology and biomanufacturing, where data-driven modeling guides the development of engineered organisms for sustainable materials, therapeutics and industrial processes.

CODE also advances pioneering computational technologies, including AI- and machine learning-driven approaches to human health, quantum- and hardware-accelerated analytics for high-throughput biological data, and novel data engineering frameworks that ensure reproducibility, interpretability and scalability. These capabilities enable researchers to analyze datasets that range from individual genomes to population-scale studies and from cellular systems to environmental and ecological data.

In addition to its research mission, CODE serves as a platform for collaboration with industry partners, health care systems, government agencies and national laboratories. Through these partnerships, the center supports translational research and real-world impact, while providing students and postdoctoral researchers with hands-on experience in interdisciplinary research, specialized workshops, mentorship programs, and collaborative problem-solving across academic, clinical and industrial domains.

“This center positions Florida Atlantic at the forefront of data-driven biological and biomedical innovation,” Batalama said. “CODE will accelerate discoveries, strengthen industry partnerships, and further elevate our research impact.”

The center’s dedicated space is currently under renovation and will be located in the Engineering East building on FAU’s Boca Raton campus, providing a physical hub for collaboration, training and innovation as CODE advances the future of omics-enabled engineering and data science.

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