Johnson & Johnson, the multinational medical products concern, has yet again shown its support of Cornell University research by awarding a $270,000, three-year grant to Bruce Ganem, the Franz and Elisabeth Roessler Professor of Chemistry in the chemistry and chemical biology department.

This is the fourth time the company has made awards to Cornell researchers under its Focused Giving Program, established in 1980 to stimulate exploration in medical science. Previous recipients were Harold Scheraga, the George W. and Grace L. Todd Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, David B. Collum, professor of chemistry, and Fred B. Quimby, professor of veterinary pathology.

The first installment of Ganem's award was presented July 16 by Johnson & Johnson researchers Pallassana Narayanan and Peter J. Connolly and by Susan Greger of the company's office of science and technology.

Cornell's director of corporate relations, Nick Komanecky, notes that the award originated with a visit to the campus last September by 18 Johnson & Johnson scientists. During the visit, hosted by President Hunter Rawlings, faculty members, including Ganem, described their research, from drug delivery to diagnostics.

Ganem, who joined the Cornell faculty in 1974, also serves as the J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship at Cornell for the period through June 30, 2000. He is a specialist in the emerging interfaces of organic and biological chemistry with biochemistry, biotechnology and molecular medicine. His recent Cornell research has involved the use of organic synthesis, structure-based drug design, protein engineering and biotechnology to study biological pathways.

The basic research proposed in the Johnson & Johnson grant, Ganem says, involves using organic chemistry to try to develop medical advances, such as new test strips or medical tests or even new drug delivery systems.

"The buzz word is 'create smart surfaces' -- surfaces that will respond to fluids in the body," Ganem says. Such products will be part of what he calls "the new wave of miniaturization." Although he is "still in the learning phase of nanofabrication," Ganem and his students will be working closely with the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility as well as with Johnson & Johnson scientists.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cornell will own any patents that might result from the research, but the company will have the right to license any patent.