By Scout Nelson
South Dakota State University is taking an important step in scientific progress by forming a new chemical biology research cluster. This effort is supported by an endowment created by William “Bill” Wadsworth, a long-time chemistry professor at the university, and his late wife, Nancy.
The endowment is designed to strengthen research in chemistry and grow new scientific areas on campus.
Bill Wadsworth is well known for helping refine the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, a major chemical reaction taught many students in organic chemistry. Because of this legacy, the university selected Dr. Rachel Willand-Charnley as the first Bill and Nancy Wadsworth Research Faculty Scholar in Chemistry. She teaches about this reaction and now leads the new research effort.
Dr. Willand-Charnley notices that the university needs a strong chemical biology program. Chemical biology combines chemistry, biology, and technology to study how biological systems work. It also helps scientists design new tools and treatments. This field is becoming important in medical research, especially for cancer studies.
Her work focuses on understanding how cancers use simple sugars to hide from the immune system. She explains that some cancers depend on specific sugars to survive, spread, and resist treatment.
Her laboratory is already studying how this process works in colon and lung cancers. The goal is to create new therapeutic methods that target these sugars.
With the Wadsworth endowment, Dr. Willand-Charnley builds a research cluster that includes faculty members, graduate students, and outside collaborators.
The team brings together skills in biochemistry, organic chemistry, computational science, and glyco-cancer immunology. Their shared goal is to develop a glycan-based therapeutic that could help patients in the future.
Leaders at South Dakota State University highlight that this new cluster strengthens teamwork and supports long-term research growth. They believe this effort will help the university expand scientific innovation and create solutions that address major health problems.
Through the Wadsworth family’s support and Dr. Willand-Charnley’s leadership, the university takes a meaningful step toward advancing chemical biology and cancer research. The new cluster encourages collaboration, discovery, and hope for future medical progress.
Photo Credit: south-dakota-state-university
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