CENTER FOR PROTEASE RESEARCH

In February 2001, North Dakota State University was awarded a five-year $8.25 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) to establish a Center for Biomedical Research Excellence. CPR is a multidisciplinary research center whose aim is to help combat diseases including arthritis, diabetes and cancer. Research is focused on a class of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMP's), which play vital roles in biological functions. CPR has initiated several programs to increase biomedical research activities in the state including seed grants for NDSU faculty, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships and summer research fellowships for faculty and undergraduates from regional four-year colleges. This has provided for integration of research and graduate education in chemistry, cell biology, computational biology and pharmacy at NDSU to a previously unseen extent.