The University appreciates that, in order to attract and retain top-level scientists to our faculty, compete successfully for large collaborative research grants, and expand our capacity to commercialize our intellectual property, it is essential to provide state-of-the-art science facilities. With this understanding, we are currently constructing phase one of the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC). This first phase of a two-phase plan consists of a ~200,000 sq ft building that will support high-end research in five key and emerging science disciplines:

• Photonics, the technology of generating and utilizing light and other radiant energy forms. Photonics has the potential to change fields of medical diagnosis (diagnosing cancer without biopsies), and detecting bioterrorism (photonic devices for detection of bacteria and/or chemicals), in addition to providing basic knowledge (exploring plant photosynthesis).

• Nanotechnology, science on the tiniest scale, using the body's building blocks to fabricate electronic circuits thousands of times smaller than microcircuits for many applications used to solve health-related problems as well as combating bioterrorism.

• Water and Environmental Sensing, providing satellite data for environmental, marine, and earth-science research. Studies planned or already underway include assessing pollutants over the city; surveying the health of the marine ecosystem in coastal waters; predicting the risk of West Nile virus exposure, by habitats of species that can transmit the virus; and monitoring for agents of bioterrorism.

• Structural Biology, positioned at the interface of chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering, the goal of this initiative is to build on current research and educational programs throughout the University to address fundamental and applied questions at the frontier of life sciences research.

• Neuroscience, mapping the brain's biochemical circuitry in order to help produce more effective drugs for alleviating the symptoms of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease; studies that could lead to drugs that can prevent or perhaps even reverse paralysis after spinal cord injury; studies on the mechanisms of action of antidepressant drugs.
  
  

High-end core facilities and instrumentation at the ASRC

A look at some of the scientists whose ideas helped shape the Advanced Science Research Center

New York Times (11/16/2009) - A Look at CUNY's focus on science initiatives, including the ASRC - HERE

CUNY Matters (Fall 2009) – An update on the progress being made to bring the ASRC online - HERE

 

A CUNY Radio Podcast featuring the ASRC (Weds, Sept 17, 2008): Listen Now

Operating Guidelines for the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), June 2009: HERE