A research institute at the State University of New York in Albany is focusing on the use of RNA to create therapeutics for conditions such as breast cancer, drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV, depression and neurofibromatosis. Launched on 4 June, the RNA Institute won't officially open its facilities, which will include 1,400 square metres of lab space, for 18 months. But it is already recruiting, including up to six faculty researchers and two dozen postdocs with backgrounds in cell, molecular or structural biology and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, says founding director Paul Agris. The university has invested US$12.5 million in the institute, which will employ up to 60 researchers and other staff.