The joint venture between the 人妻少妇专区 and University at Albany will drive economic development through research and training.
The 人妻少妇专区 and University at Albany are partnering on a new Center of Excellence in RNA Research and Therapeutics focused on developing RNA-based therapies and training the next generation of New York鈥檚 biotechnology workforce.
Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D-Rochester) led the charge to secure funds in the 2024鈥�25 New York State Enacted Budget to establish the new Center of Excellence, known as CERRT, which will initially receive $250,000.
Home to renowned scientists with decades of experience and millions of dollars in external funding for RNA-based research, the institutions will work together to promote economic growth through continued scientific discovery and partnership with industry.
RNA treatments hold enormous promise
The field of RNA science has catapulted to the forefront of health and medicine over the past decade as the work of leading scientists like and , the respective directors of the and , and others revealed the role that RNA plays in a multitude of diseases.
Myotonic dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, fragile X syndrome, and many other inherited disorders can be targeted with RNA-based treatments. The COVID-19 pandemic, meanwhile, highlighted the power of RNA to prevent disease as the development and deployment of mRNA vaccines saved untold lives and helped the US economy safely reopen.
鈥淥ur scientists have deep experience and a proven track record of important discoveries that are propelling the fast-growing field of RNA biology forward,鈥� says 人妻少妇专区 Vice President for Research . 鈥淭ogether with our partners in Albany, we鈥檙e poised to use our knowledge and expertise to build up this Center of Excellence, bringing new discoveries closer to patients and contributing to the state鈥檚 growth as a hub for health and technology research and development.鈥�
鈥淭he COVID-19 pandemic focused the world鈥檚 attention on the importance of RNA science and the way strategic public investments and thoughtful industry partnerships can lead to new therapies that alleviate suffering and improve quality of life across a range of diseases,鈥� says University at Albany President Havid谩n Rodr铆guez. 鈥淭hanks to groundbreaking research by scientists in Albany and Rochester who have been leading this work for decades and dogged advocacy by Assemblymembers Fahy, McDonald, and Bronson, UAlbany and Rochester will continue to advance cutting-edge RNA science that provides high-tech jobs for New Yorkers while helping people live longer, healthier lives.鈥�
New state funding launches center
The CERRT joins 14 other centers based at universities across New York in the . Managed by 鈥檚 (ESD) Division of Science, Technology, and Innovation, the centers establish and advance collaborations between the academic research community and the business sector to develop and commercialize new products and technologies; promote critical private sector investment in emerging scientific fields in New York; and create and expand businesses and employment.
鈥淪upporting an equitable and diverse array of research is critical to the success and longevity of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in New York, but also to the economic vitality of communities throughout New York,鈥� says Assemblymember Bronson, who is chair of the Committee on Labor and represents the 人妻少妇专区 Medical Center in the Assembly. 鈥淭hese centers attract worldwide talent to participate in and develop innovative, life-saving research. Rochester and Albany are already home to world-renowned medical researchers in the RNA field, and an RNA-focused Center of Excellence will give biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies鈥攍arge and small鈥攖he competitive advantage they need to succeed by providing them access to leading researchers, cutting-edge technology, and a pipeline of top talent.鈥�
鈥淭his new center is a win all around,鈥� says , CEO of the 人妻少妇专区 Medical Center and dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD). 鈥淧atients and families will benefit from groundbreaking work carried out between researchers in Rochester and Albany; our trainees will gain invaluable experience working with experts in university labs and in industry; and New York will emerge as a leader in this vital field. We are grateful to Assemblymember Bronson for his efforts and the governor for her support.鈥�
鈥淭his new Center of Excellence will strengthen critical ties between academic RNA research centers and biotechnology industry leaders and ensure New York鈥檚 biotech sector has the skilled workforce it needs to continue growing and innovating,鈥� says Thenkurussi (Kesh) Kesavadas, the vice president for research and economic development at Albany. 鈥淐ombined with UAlbany鈥檚 investments in AI supercomputing, the research and training conducted through CERRT holds enormous potential to develop RNA-based therapies for diseases impacting tens-of-thousands of New Yorkers.鈥�
Building New York鈥檚 biotech workforce
CERRT will work with large New York biotech companies like Regeneron, Pfizer, and Curia to develop new therapeutics and to establish a pipeline of trained workers. According to Maquat, one of the first orders of business is to establish programs where SMD trainees engage in short-term 鈥渟abbaticals鈥� at these companies, learning how industry operates and understanding the various roles scientists play in the private sector.
鈥淎 major goal of academic centers like Rochester and Albany is to provide our students and postdoctoral fellows with the best training possible, so they have the skills needed to pursue the career path of their choice,鈥� says Maquat, the J. Lowell Orbison Distinguished Service Alumni Professor and a professor of biochemistry and biophysics, pediatrics, and oncology. 鈥淭he Center of Excellence will ensure our trainees are competitive in the job market and help us recruit strong candidates to study and conduct research at our institutions in the future.鈥�
Maquat will co-lead the CERRT at the 人妻少妇专区 with , a professor of biochemistry and biophysics and a member of Rochester鈥檚 Center for RNA Biology, while Berglund with , a distinguished professor of biological sciences and a member of the University at Albany鈥檚 RNA Institute, will co-lead the CERRT at Albany.
鈥淭raining the next generation of RNA scientists is central to the mission of UAlbany鈥檚 RNA Institute, and we are excited to partner with our 人妻少妇专区 colleagues to meet the workforce needs of New York industry and develop treatments caused by defective RNAs,鈥� says Berglund, who is also the Keith Hynes Endowed Professor in STEM at the University at Albany.
Support for the Center of Excellence in RNA Research and Therapeutics
Partners and collaborators also expressed their support for the new center:
Jennifer Hawks Bland, NewYorkBIO CEO: 鈥淪upporting research in life sciences is critical to the success and longevity of all biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies across New York. CERRT will provide valuable research and workforce development collaborations throughout our industry, while also helping to attract, support, and retain talent in New York at a pivotal time for our state. This new Center of Excellence will further enhance future generations鈥� ability to research, develop, and commercialize life-saving technologies and therapeutics for patients in New York and beyond.鈥�
Hope Knight, Empire State Development Commissioner and CEO: 鈥淓mpire State Development is strategically focused on strengthening the innovation economy and NYSTAR鈥檚 Centers of Excellence are essential to our mission. This new partnership between UAlbany and the 人妻少妇专区 will encourage collaboration between academia and the private sector and will provide an environment that will commercialize new products and technologies right here in New York State鈥�
Emily Jones, myotonic dystrophy group facilitator in the Western New York Finger Lakes Region: 鈥淔irst and foremost, we want to thank Assemblymember Harry Bronson for listening to what it is like for our families to live day-to-day with myotonic dystrophy, a rare form of muscular dystrophy. He compassionately listened to caregivers and affected individuals share their daily challenges in the face of overwhelming fatigue, loss of the ability to work, and continuous pain. The addition of a NYS Center of Excellence for RNA-extended repeat diseases will fund world-class leaders at the 人妻少妇专区 and University at Albany. Their research understanding will help pharmaceutical companies target the toxic RNA and the mechanisms that are the root cause of the disease. As a result, these companies will bring a therapeutic drug that will slow or stop disease progression of this brutal disease. Our families live with the hope of a cure that will come more quickly.鈥�
Lois Schenk, myotonic dystrophy group facilitator in the Western New York Finger Lakes Region: 鈥淭reating and curing this rare disease is critical, certainly to families like mine and Emily鈥檚, but also to the residents and government of New York State, as it is estimated that the economic burden of caring for individuals with this disease can cost the state upwards of $2 million per year.鈥�
