ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, a federal agency, today (Oct. 14) will present Ray Wu, professor of molecular biology and genetics at Cornell University, with a $50,000 Frank Annunzio Award in science and technology. The prize honors Wu's pioneering work in genetic engineering, especially in discovering the first method of sequencing DNA and in the production of new cereal crops.

The awards ceremony will take place in Washington, D.C., following the capital's 90th annual celebration in honor of Christopher Columbus. Wu is one of four recipients of the 2002 Frank Annunzio Awards, which have been presented annually by the foundation since 1998.

Wu has been a member of the Cornell faculty since 1966. In 1971 he made DNA sequencing analysis possible with a novel, location-specific primer-extension method. (Sequencing involves determining the base sequence of each of the ordered DNA fragments.) "His strategy has been incorporated into subsequent generations of rapid procedures, including the use of automated instruments, which has led to the decoding of entire genomes of many living organisms. Information on these sequences is essential for improving health care and increasing food security in the next several decades," the foundation announcement said.

In the mid-1990s, Wu and his group genetically engineered and successfully field-tested hardy rice plants. Technology for the transgenic rice plants, which incorporates genes from potato plants to resist insect damage and genes from barley plants and other living organisms to make them salt- and drought-tolerant, has been given to developing countries under provisions of a Rockefeller Foundation grant. "The same genes and methods have the potential to dramatically increase production of all major cereal crops, which is crucial for third-world countries," the award announcement continued. Rosalyn Queen Alonso, chair of the foundation, noted: "Dr. Wu's research in developing new cereal crops may lead to the end of hunger worldwide. His pioneering efforts epitomize the spirit of the Frank Annunzio Awards."

Wu received his B.S. degrees in chemistry and biology from the University of Alabama and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.The Christopher Columbus foundation is an independent federal government agency established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 to "encourage and support research, study and labor designed to produce new discoveries in all fields of endeavor for the benefit of mankind."

The awards, named for the late Annunzio, former congressman from Illinois who founded the foundation, honor living Americans who are improving the world through ingenuity and innovation, and are intended to provide incentive for continuing research and/or a specific project.