"I'm an atomic scale structural biologist; that's what I do for a living," beams Wand; and he does it rather well. At 38, Wand is already nationally known for his work in structural biology, particularly a process known as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Modestly, Wand explains that his stellar rise in the academic world is attributable, in part, to being in the right place at the right time.

In its simplest terms, NMR involves placing molecules suspended in a solution under a very strong magnet. It yields a view of the basic atomic structure of those molecules. Wand was a graduate student at Penn State, researching a project, when he uncovered a new use for NMR. However, since Penn lacked its own NMR facility in the early 1980s, Wand commuted to the University of Seattle.

"The end result was that soon I was the only person in North America under 25 who knew how to do this," he recalled. After that, finding a job was no problem for Wand. He first went to the Institute for Cancer Research in Philadelphia, then on to teaching positions at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the University of Illinois at Urbana.

Research capacity in structural biology is essential in order to support research in several disciplines, including biophysics, biological sciences, medicine and chemistry, said Wand. "In order to even apply for many research grants, you have to be able to show the atomic structure you are working with," he explained. Research in structural biology enables things like development of computerized modeling of cell membranes and internal molecular structures of proteins, which lead in turn to many scientific advances.

The Structural Biology Initiative grew out of proposals made several years ago by the schools of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Natural Sciences and Mathematics to the late Provost Aaron Bloch, according to Natural Sciences and Mathematics Dean Joseph Tufariello. "The need for a presence in structural biology was first brought to my attention by faculty involved with the Center for Advanced Molecular Biology and Immunology (CAMBI)," said Tufariello. "Our proposal, as well as a similar one developed by the School of Medicine were developed independently, but virtually simultaneously."

Bloch saw interdisciplinary support from two major units of the university and recognized the ability of this technology to support spinoff, grant-generating activity that would not be possible otherwise, according to Provost Thomas Headrick. He explained that it was technology "everyone agreed the university needed to invest in. It was simply a matter of to what degree." Bloch forged a program that would make UB's resources not merely adequate but, "state-of-the-art; really putting us out in front of everyone in this area," added Headrick. With President Greiner's support, the university dipped into endowment funds to launch the project this year.

Wand explained that, under the first phase of the initiative, acquisitions expected this year of X-ray crystallographic and NMR equipment will simply help UB catch up to current standards. Ultimately, however, "we will leapfrog past the level of technology out there now." Wand agrees that, if successful, the initiative will make UB's structural biology facilities the envy of researchers nationwide. The entire initiative is roughly a $10 million proposition. "The university is funding a modest start and it will be up to me to raise the rest," Wand said. However, he is no stranger to grantsmanship. Wand's projects at other institutions have fetched more than $2.5 million in grant support since 1986.

"There is really no downside to this initiative. Even in a worst case scenario, we will still be left with a much-needed state-of-the-art NMR facility; better than those at Harvard, Yale, or virtually any other research university in the country," Wand said. Tufariello explained that the two new NMR machines, 600 Mhz and 750 Mhz units, are among the most powerful in production today.

A native of Ottawa, Canada, Wand arrived this summer from the University of Illinois at Urbana with his family and three graduate students in tow. He holds a joint appointment between the departments of biophysics and chemistry.