This new commitment will be used as a challenge to generate $20 million in additional matching support from Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the Siteman Cancer Center.

Emerson''s Charitable Trust and the Anheuser-Busch Foundation are contributing $6 million and $4 million respectively. The challenge gift will further St. Louis'' role as home to a nationally recognized, robust cancer research and treatment program and meet some of the Siteman Cancer Center''s highest priorities.

First priority for funding through the Emerson-Busch grant is expansion of cancer research space and programs in a new cancer research facility, which will be located on the top floors of the Southwest Tower in the heart of Washington University Medical Center. The basic and applied research supported by this gift distinguish the Siteman Cancer Center and are keys to finding new treatments and diagnostic techniques for cancer patients. Siteman is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the region and one of only 61 in the country.

"We are deeply grateful for this generous gift to the Siteman Cancer Center," said Mark S. Wrighton, chancellor of Washington University. "Just as collaboration is the cornerstone of Washington University''s renowned research environment and of its fruitful partnership with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, likewise this partnership between Emerson and Anheuser-Busch is a testament to the power of community-wide corporate leadership dedicated to a common goal."

According to Patrick T. Stokes, president and chief executive officer of Anheuser-Busch Companies, the grant reflects a shared vision between the University, its medical school, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and both companies. "We''re proud to be helping this renowned facility continue its leading-edge research," Stokes said. "This commitment is a challenge to generate added excitement and matching support for Siteman''s highest priorities."

David N. Farr, Emerson chief executive officer, added, "We remain hopeful that Siteman can harness new and better ways to attack cancer and ease the pain and suffering of the individuals and families it affects. It is our hope that the Emerson and Anheuser-Busch gift will inspire others to give generously to further this important work."

The new research center in the eight-story Barnes-Jewish Hospital Southwest Tower will include laboratories and offices for 11 principal investigators and their research teams plus necessary support space. It also will house and promote expansion of research programs such as the Stem Cell Biology Program and the Bone Marrow Transplantation Program, which is one of the top four of its kind in the United States. The tower also houses the Charles F. Knight Emergency and Trauma Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital as well as programs that support the entire Washington University Medical Center.

"The Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital is an established leader in the development and application of medical innovations to advance cancer care," says Timothy J. Eberlein M.D., director of the Siteman Cancer Center and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. "Expanding our facilities will not only enhance opportunities available to our current faculty, but also will help us continue to attract top-notch scientists."

As the leading provider of cancer care in the region, Siteman Cancer Center has more than 300 Washington University researchers and physicians dedicated to developing ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer. The center provides a multidisciplinary team approach to cancer care.

Last year, Washington University physicians affiliated with Siteman treated nearly 6,000 new cancer patients and provided follow-up care for more than 28,000 patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and at the Center for Advanced Medicine, which houses much of Siteman''s outpatient services.

The Siteman Cancer Center also is an active and collaborative part of the School of Medicine''s clinical and basic research enterprise. For example, findings from Washington University''s Genome Sequencing Center are being used to study acute leukemia, a form of cancer that affects 10,000 Americans each year. Results and technology from this research may serve as a template for investigations of other forms of cancer.

"For more than a century, both Emerson and Anheuser-Busch have been devoted to improving the St. Louis community," Wrighton said. "This gift to enhance the Siteman Cancer Center is but one example of the generosity of these two companies to the St. Louis community."

Emerson, which has been in business for 113 years, is one of the world''s leading manufacturing companies, with operations around the globe. Its sophisticated process-control systems help ensure the efficient, safe and high-quality production of a range of products, from petroleum and chemicals to food products and pharmaceuticals. Its climate-control technologies enable environmentally friendly, energy-efficient air conditioning and refrigeration for commercial and residential needs.

Anheuser-Busch and its charitable foundation donate funds to hundreds of charities each year. Contributions are generally focused on communities in which Anheuser-Busch operates breweries and other major facilities and cover a wide range of local organizations.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch Companies is a diversified international corporation with interests in beer, packaging and family entertainment.

The full-time and volunteer faculty of Washington University School of Medicine are the physicians and surgeons of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children''s hospitals.

The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institutions in the nation. It receives nearly $330 million in grants and contracts from the National Institutes of Health annually, making it third among medical schools nationwide.