It's lunchtime on the brickyard plaza at North Carolina State University, and the chatter includes impassioned discussions of research and learning. A chemistry professor and a graduate student debate the meaning of their newest data, while a cluster of entomology and genetics students practice French conversation over sandwiches. Budding industrial engineers discuss information extraction from three-dimensional images.

Based on the conversations, any passerby would conclude that NC State's commitment to innovation in action is genuine. Yet the dialogue only hints at the high-powered research and learning taking place across campus. Since its inception as a land-grant institution in 1887, the university has embraced its commitment to solving real-world problems while taking a national lead in cutting-edge fields such as biotechnology, nanoscale physics, and biomedical engineering. It has brought these new technologies to bear on timeless and emerging problems in areas such as medicine, energy, pest control, and sustainability, while also preparing students to lead and manage in a dynamic innovation and technology-rich global workplace.

All this makes NC State an important leader in the region's rapidly growing biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Located in the state capital of Raleigh and in close proximity to Research Triangle Park, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC State has a growing network of partnerships and collaborations that stimulate new research and knowledge. Ongoing exchange with government and industry also means that students find considerable career opportunities - both before and after graduation.

To prepare individuals for leadership roles in biotech and pharmaceutical companies, NC State's College of Management launched a new BioPharma Management Initiative in 2005. Together with the College of Engineering, the university also offers a new concentration in services science and management engineering. Such curricula prepare students to understand the challenges of bringing new technology into the marketplace and effectively managing emerging industries.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences brings the land-grant mission into the 21^st century through its NC Agricultural Research Service. Faculty are making exciting discoveries in genomics, bioinformatics, bioprocessing, pest and waste management, human health, and nutrition. The college is training the next generation of leaders and supporting the state's important agricultural industry, spurring economic development.

These are just a few examples of NC State's commitment to innovation - a commitment that creates a culture of excellence in every facet of the university, from unparalleled classroom and laboratory experiences and life-altering research to partnerships that create jobs.

Work by scientists like biochemist John Cavanagh is providing insights that could lead to the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Huntington's chorea.

John Cavanagh, professor of molecular and structural biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is part of a team that characterized the structure of calbindin-D28K, an important protein linked to the prevention of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's. What Cavanagh learned about the shape of the protein will lead to a better understanding of how it functions, which might provide clues to developing effective drugs. "If you don't know the shape of the protein, you can't figure out how it works," Cavanagh explains.

Chemistry professor David Muddiman is looking for an early detection system for ovarian cancer, and he knows that the path to that goal passes through many branches of science. The work begins with the proteome - the millions of different proteins expressed in an organism at any given time. "Proteins are what determine who we are and what diseases we have," Muddiman says. "From the entire proteome, we want to identify the handful of different proteins that tell us which person has the disease." Finding those few proteins means separating and identifying millions of different molecules, then analyzing their pattern of occurrence - a process that integrates chemistry, physics, engineering, statistics, biology, math, and computer science. Muddiman's revolutionary approach to cancer diagnostics is just one example of exciting advances taking place throughout the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, a college that prides itself in reaching beyond traditional boundaries to lead interdisciplinary research.

Tom Roberg, CEO of LaamScience, has commercialized an antiviral coating developed at NC State.

Tom Roberg came to a research presentation at NC State's College of Textiles with curiosity about new technologies, and he left with inspiration for a new company and a way to stop the spread of deadly diseases. Just a year later, that company, LaamScience, is a reality, and Roberg is its CEO. Its product is a new coating, only nanometers thick, that inactivates 99.9% of all viruses tested, including those similar to bird flu, when exposed to light. The technology is the invention of Stephen Michielsen, associate professor in the College of Textiles, and Gordon Churchward, a professor at Emory University. Applications for the coating include antiviral face masks, air filters of all kinds, and hospital furnishings and supplies. The company's first products are likely to be available within a year.

The Office of Technology Transfer has overseen the development of 63 such startup companies based on university research, and it manages a portfolio of 552 U.S. patents and 533 active technology licenses. Some of these companies make their temporary home right on Centennial Campus in the Technology Incubator, a shared-use facility that houses 26 fledgling companies.

The College of Management's Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Initiative serves as a resource to help technology transfer offices across the state evaluate their intellectual-property portfolios. Through its graduate curriculum, it also teaches students how to build and launch new ventures based on these evolving technologies.

One of many new buildings on Centennial Campus.

NC State is home to Centennial Campus, a 1,344-acre community for research and advanced technology, where more than 140 university, industry, and government partners interact in multidisciplinary programs directed toward the solution of contemporary problems. Nearby is Centennial Biomedical Campus, designed to attract industry and government researchers, entrepreneurs, clinical-trial companies, and collaborators from other universities. Activities focus on genomic research, gene therapy, vaccine development, and other projects that will have significant applications for the health and welfare of humans as well as animals.