State invests $50M to expand UAlbany's RNA Institute

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)– New York State will be investing $50 million to expand the State University of New York at Albany’s RNA institute, according to an announcement from the Governor’s Office. The funding will be used to advance the institute’s research, training and workforce development.

According to the state, the RNA Institute advances research to understand, diagnose and treat deadly or debilitating diseases including ALS, Alzheimer’s, cancer and adult-onset muscular dystrophy.

“UAlbany’s RNA Institute is world-renowned for pioneering new approaches to biomedical research, using artificial intelligence to develop innovative technologies and treatments that can help people live longer, healthier lives,” UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez said. “With Governor Hochul’s generous $50 million investment in the Life Sciences Research Building, the RNA Institute will be able to expand and enhance its research capacity, providing state-of-the-art facilities for researchers and hands-on training for the next generation of New York’s workforce — establishing the University and the Capital Region as a leader in RNA science and biotechnology.”

The expansion funding was included in SUNY’s enacted 2025-2026 capital budget. According to the state, the $50 million construction funds will be used to:

• Renovate and expand existing labs to increase capacity.
  • Core facilities will be upgraded, and the LSRB will be upgraded and expanded by approximately 20,000 square feet of wet/dry lab space, collaboration zones and shared instrumentation suites. 
• Create a 3,000-square-foot space for preclinical development, biosafety testing, and pilot Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing.
  • This facility will include pilot-scale cleanrooms, bioreactors, and RNA synthesis platforms supporting commercialization and clinical trial readiness.
• Provide dedicated artificial intelligence and health research space, which is essential for interdisciplinary, data-driven biomedical research.
  • This will facilitate integration with Governor Hochul’s Empire AI initiative and the State University of New York at Albany’s AI Plus Initiative, and will provide high-performance computing access, data visualization labs and collaborative workspaces. The integrated health space will provide community and patient access for educational and interventional research, as well as support research into complex diseases.
• Provide interactive educational and training elements for community engagement, K-12 outreach.
  • Academic and industry recruitment will bolster the pipeline and diversity of New York’s STEM workforce. 

“Identifying new ways to attack deadly and debilitating diseases will not only ensure the State University of New York at Albany is at the cutting edge of research and technology, it will help New Yorkers live longer, more fulfilling and healthier lives,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “This is an investment in a better future, and it is being developed right here in New York.”

As part of the funding, UAlbany will be rebranding to use the State University of New York name, as a way to fully align with the SUNY name and logo to amplify SUNY’s leadership on research.

For more information on the funding, visit the SUNY website. Information on the RNA Institute can be found on the UAlbany website.