Businessman and philanthropist David H. Murdock announced Wednesday a $50 million gift to support the ongoing operational expenses of the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) in Kannapolis.

In 2007, Murdock, chairman of Dole Food Company Inc. and president of Castle & Cooke Inc., established the non-profit DHMRI as the core laboratory for the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC). The advanced research center is home to 16 corporate, academic and health care partners focused on research and development, including researchers from Duke University.

"I am committed to doing all I can to advance scientific research that will vastly improve the quality of life for mankind. My gift of $50 million to support the day-to-day operations of the David H. Murdock Research Institute over the next eight years will maintain the DHMRI as a critical engine for science, and that science will improve health in North Carolina and globally," Murdock said.

Businessman and philanthropist David H. Murdock, right, talks with Lynne Scott Safrit, president of Castle & Cooke Inc. NC, and Dr. Victor J. Dzau, president and CEO of Duke University Health System, during an announcement Wednesday of a $50 million gift to support the ongoing operational expenses of the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) in Kannapolis. Photo credit: Megan Morr/Duke University Photography

Since 2007, Murdock invested more than $131 million in the DHMRI. He deeded ownership of two floors of the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building to the Institute and the state-of-the-art equipment in genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, advanced microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. Additionally, Murdock has invested more than $600 million in the development of the NCRC.

As part of the DHMRI, Murdock has funded the Measurement to Understand the Reclassification of Disease of Cabarrus/Kannapolis (MURDOCK) Study, a longitudinal study working to reclassify health and disease using advanced scientific technologies housed in the institute. The study, which is being run by the Duke Translational Medicine Institute, is designed to personalize the treatment of disease, using the toolbox of modern genomic technologies available at the DHMRI. More than 9,000 residents of Cabarrus County and Kannapolis are currently enrolled.