Life Sciences
North Carolina Research Campus
Knowledge. Jobs. Progress.
The North Carolina Research Campus is getting ready to open its doors and usher in a new age of public-private partnerships in research and discovery. The 350-acre research campus located in Kannapolis will be occupied by seven major North Carolina universities. In addition to these academic institutions, several companies will have a strong presence on campus, including Dole Foods Research & Development, Carolinas Healthcare System, and Anatomics. There will be a presence of other support businesses as well, including venture capitalists, marketing professionals, and patent attorneys. All of these different entities will be very close in proximity on campus, spurring creative partnerships and ideas.
The David H. Murdock Research Institute, located in the center of campus, will house over $100 million in state-of-the-art scientific equipment in a single building. This equipment will be divided into eight core laboratories: genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, nuclear magnetic resonance, clinical discovery, histochemistry, cell culture and transgenics, and integrated microscopy. In preparation for the opening of the campus, the DHMRI has purchased the first phase of equipment for these various core laboratories. As the campus evolves and becomes occupied with tenants who have various interests in the realm of research, the DHMRI will add equipment to fit the needs of the campus. In addition to the core laboratory, the DHMRI has sponsored a $35 million, long-term population research study examining the behavioral and epigenetic differences in people that lead to the development of disease. This project, titled the M.U.R.D.O.C.K. study, will be conducted onsite by Duke University scientists and their collaborators and will span over several years.
A partial list of NCRC partners and tenants includes:
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Nutrition Research Institute)—this team of 75 researchers will focus on the relationship between nutrition and immune system strength, brain function, obesity and cancer. (PI: Steve Zeisel, MD, PhD)
- University of North Carolina Charlotte (Center for Bioinformatics)—this team of researchers will be involved in functional genomics, statistical genetics, and proteomics. Projects underway include work in mechanisms of alternative gene splicing, generation of and new approaches to the analysis of microarray data, and the use of systems analysis techniques to understand gene-gene interactions.
- NC State University (Center for Plant and Food Science)—research findings from this group will allow plant breeders and pathologists to quickly adopt the latest breakthroughs in plant genomics, metabolic profiling and cell biology. (PI: Steve Leath, PhD)
- Duke University (Translational Medicine Institute)—this research team of 150 will speed the translation of discoveries (novel ingredients, biologics, bioactives, etc) through clinical trials to expedite commercialization. (PI: Rob Califf, MD)
- University of North Carolina-Greensboro (Center for Bioactives)—researchers from this group will focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms of nutrition and the interplay among bioactive food components and genetics. (PI: Debbie Kipp, PhD)
- North Carolina A&T State University (Center for Food Safety and Post Harvest)— This group will develop processes to improve quality and safety of food after it has left the farm. These include processing and preservation, identifying and recovering health-promoting compounds for use in supplements or functional foods, and storage stability.