Strategic Alliances and Collaborations

Southern Research Institute welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with other companies, institutions, and academic organizations to further the cause of science and to create new business ventures. Following are examples of our disclosed arrangements.

The Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance

In collaboration with Southern Research, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine has launched the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance (ADDA), formed to facilitate drug discovery and development utilizing resources at the two institutions.

The ADDA, through internal and external funding sources, supports promising research via an application process. Applicants are required to demonstrate that a select target or lead molecule is critical to the life cycle of the target disease process and have proof of principle models that can be applied to test the ultimate therapeutic agent. A primary emphasis of the alliance will be on translational research in the areas of oncology, infectious diseases, and CNS/neurological disorders.

Jubilant Organosys, UAB and Southern Research Drug Discovery Joint Venture

Jubilant Organosys, The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and Southern Research entered into a joint venture that will focus on leveraging their collective innovation and enabling technologies in the areas of oncology, metabolic disease and infectious diseases. It is a unique U.S.-India arbitraged and leveraged partnership that will accelerate the development of affordable therapies for patients worldwide. Read the news release for more information.

Vivo Biosciences, Inc.

Southern Research and Vivo Biosciences, Inc. have signed a collaborative agreement to promote and co-market services of the respective organizations in a way to align complementary market growth interests in the most cost-efficient way, and to enhance their service offerings to clients. Southern Research's national and international network of clients and its range of drug discovery and preclinical drug development services is specifically of value to Vivo Biosciences. In return, Vivo's 3D mini-tumor models - which offer real-time functional analysis - are very complimentary to Southern Research's advanced drug screening processes.

Research Universities

Each year, Southern Research engages in numerous collaborations with scientists and engineers from premier research universities around the world. Creative partnerships are formed and cultivated in order to address challenging scientific and engineering problems, seek funding together, and invest together to develop intellectual property. Southern Research often has a dozen or more such collaborations with research universities ongoing at any given time.

UAB and Southern Research Collaboration
Pulmonary Injury and Repair Center

The University of Alabama at Birmingham and Southern Research established the Pulmonary Injury and Repair Center in June 2008 to promote, support, and enhance cutting-edge lung biology research and translation of drug discoveries into treatments for patients. The Center maintains the infrastructure required to advance lung disease research from bench to bedside and provides funding for pilot research projects. It strengthens existing interactions among Southern Research and UAB researchers which will improve the Center's ability to compete for multi-institutional extramural awards.

Southern Research established the Center's Biocontainment and Pathogen Repository Core which provides the research community access to: a library of bacterial and viral respiratory pathogens; BSL-2 and BSL-3 biocontainment laboratories; specialized aerosol delivery capabilities; and, guidance and expertise in vaccine, antiviral, and antibacterial development.

High-Tech Instrumentation and Technology Development Companies

Each year, Southern Research enters into several collaborations with technology companies for beta testing and research development of new products and applications. These collaborations give technology companies access to highly skilled professionals at Southern Research with expertise in specific scientific and engineering areas of interest. These collaborative projects also give early access to new technologies with potential application to markets served by Southern Research. Results are often co-published and presented at conferences, and intellectual property is sometimes shared.

Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana

In March 2011, Southern Research signed a services agreement with the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana that provides commercial, non-invasive, preclinical imaging services exclusively for Southern Research. The Biomedical Research Foundation provides radiopharmaceuticals, radiochemistry and radiopharmacy expertise, and other supporting services as well as small-animal imaging services and animal-care services through a subcontract with the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport (LSUHSC-S). The Foundation and its partner, LSUHSC-S, have more than ten years experience working with industry on preclinical and clinical trials using molecular imaging, advancing research to support new diagnostics and treatments in diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

For more information about collaborations and alliances with Southern Research Life Sciences, contact Mark Suto (suto@southernresearch.org) or Andrew Penman (penman@southernresearch.org). For Engineering and Environment & Energy, contact Michael Johns (johns@southernresearch.org).