February, 2008

The North Carolina Research Campus at Kannapolis, the vision of Dole Foods owner David Murdock, is rapidly taking shape as construction continues on many fronts, including UNC’s own Nutrition Research Institute (NRI).  The campus is expected to open this year and is intended to bring investments of $700M and create 5,000 tech jobs, 30,000 support jobs and attract 100 biotechnology companies making it the largest biotech development in state history and one of the largest nationwide.  Although separated by distance from the research core of the state, it is strategically located next to the financial hub of the state and includes contributions from all of the major state research campuses which will work in a highly collaborative environment.  Murdock has pledged approximately $1 billion in development and construction of the 350-acre campus, and another $100 million to fund strategic biotechnology ventures, while the state has committed $30 million a year to the research campus, including $10.5 million for UNC's NRI. 
Duke University secured a $35M gift to its Translational Medicine Institute at the campus to conduct the M.U.R.D.O.C.K. study, christened “a Framingham study for the molecular age”.  This study will contribute to the goal of matching patient treatments to genetic profile by performing broad, epidemiological studies linking genetic data to disease risk and outcomes.  At this point, UNC’s major involvement in Kannapolis is the NRI, spearheaded by Director Steve Zeisel, which will take advantage of the highly equipped 311,000 sqft Core facility to investigate individualized nutrition using high throughput metabolomic and nutrigenomic approaches. The goals of the institute are on par with the interests of Murdock who is known for his passion about nutrition and has made health, nutrition, and agricultural technology a principle focus of the campus.  Zeisel plans to hire 18 faculty in the areas of Nutrition and Brain Development, Nutrition and Cancer, Nutrition and Obesity/Eating Disorders, and Nutrient Intake Assessment.  Faculty members will work in Kannapolis and hold appointments at UNC-Chapel Hill.  As the institute and the campus as a whole evolves, CCGS researchers are encouraged to collaborate and take advantage of the resources and funding available. 

Links:
NCRC Website
NRI Website
School of Public Health news release