Troy, N.Y. — Governor George E. Pataki, Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today announced that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has received one of 10 New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research (NYSTAR) James D. Watson Investigator Program Awards. The Watson Program is designed to recognize and support outstanding scientists and engineers who, early in their careers, show potential for leadership and scientific discovery in the field of biotechnology.

The $200,000 grant was awarded to Chunyu Wang, assistant professor of biology at Rensselaer, whose research focuses on the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study Alzheimer’s disease and other significant problems in neuroscience and aging. NMR spectroscopy provides a powerful modern analytic technique for understanding the structure and function of biological molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids.

Support from the NYSTAR J.D. Watson Investigator Program will allow Wang’s laboratory to investigate a key protein-protein interaction in the development of Alzheimer’s using state-of-art NMR equipment at Rensselaer. Wang is seeking a better understanding of the disease’s structural mechanisms, and his research may lead to the development of new treatments for Alzheimer’s, which is the most common form of dementia in elderly people.

“We applaud Governor Pataki, Senator Bruno, Speaker Silver, and NYSTAR for their dedication to strengthening biotechnology research in New York State, and for their foresight in supporting rising stars like Professor Wang,” said Wolf von Maltzahn, acting vice president for research at Rensselaer. “Professor Wang’s long-term goal is to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. Contributing to a better understanding of complex and common diseases such as Alzheimer’s is one of the many areas of vital research underway at Rensselaer's Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.” 

Wang is a medical doctor who also holds a doctoral degree in biochemistry and molecular genetics. “Current medications for Alzheimer’s primarily treat symptoms of the disease instead of the disease itself. This is partly due to our incomplete understanding as to how a key peptide, amyloid ß peptide, interacts with other molecules in brain cells and causes neuronal dysfunction,” said Wang. “Our research seeks to yield a comprehensive understanding of how amyloid ß peptide interacts with an important enzyme, which will lead to the identification of better options for treating the disease.”

Russell W. Bessette, M.D., executive director of NYSTAR, said, “Governor Pataki’s support of the James D. Watson Investigator Program will enable RPI’s Chunyu Wang to make breakthroughs in understanding the pathology of Alzheimer's Disease. As a result, RPI will play an important role in developing new innovations that will build and strengthen New York’s high technology economy.”

The James D. Watson Investigator initiative is part of the $225 million Generating Employment through New York State Science (Gen*NY*sis) program, which was created to maximize the potential of the world-class life sciences research being conducted at New York's public, not-for-profit, and private academic research institutions, according to the Governor's announcement today. The program complements New York's comprehensive efforts to make the Empire State an international leader in high-tech and biotechnology-related research and economic development.

The purpose of the Watson Program is to assist New York state's leading research institutions in recognizing, retaining, and professionally developing early-career scientists who demonstrate leadership potential at the frontier of knowledge in the life sciences and conduct research that is anticipated to enhance economic development in the state, according to NYSTAR.

Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer
At Rensselaer, faculty and students in diverse academic and research disciplines are collaborating at the intersection of the life sciences to encourage discovery and innovation. Rensselaer’s four biotechnology research constellations - biocatalysis and metabolic engineering, functional tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, biocomputation and bioinformatics, and integrative systems biology - engage a multidisciplinary mix of faculty and students focused on the application of engineering and physical and information sciences to the life sciences. Ranked among the world’s most advanced research facilities, Rensselaer’s Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies provides a state-of-the-art platform for collaborative research and world-class programs and symposia.

Contact: Tiffany Lohwater
Phone: (518) 276-6542
E-mail: lohwat@rpi.edu