Indiana University has announced a $53 million grant from the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment to broaden and intensify its life sciences research. The grant is the largest ever received by the university.

The funds will support the emerging fields of metabolomics and cytomics, which use genetic information to expand scientists' understanding of metabolism and the inner workings of cells. One of the goals of the Indiana METACyt initiative is to answer key questions about cancer and other diseases, leading to faster diagnoses and more effective treatments. A second goal of the initiative, which will bring together biologists, chemists, physicists, medical researchers, and specialists in computer science and informatics, is to ensure that life sciences discoveries result in a full range of scientific, educational, and related economic benefits for the state. To that end, the initiative will encourage scientists to stay in Bloomington while simultaneously attracting researchers from around the world.

"Indiana University is now poised to establish international intellectual leadership in these new areas of life sciences research," said university president Adam W. Herbert. "We are deeply grateful to the Lilly Endowment for recognizing the quality of our life sciences research program and investing in its bold expansion."