Years of Discovery
FDA-Approved Therapies
Spin-off Companies
Nobel Prizes
Scripps Research is not just a laboratory; it's a dynamic engine for medical discovery. For a century, this non-profit institute has been a powerhouse in the life sciences and chemistry, renowned for its scientific excellence and for training the next generation of scientific leaders 2 .
The institute operates on a unique "flywheel" model that seamlessly connects fundamental, curiosity-driven science with the practical work of turning discoveries into treatments 2 . This approach tackles a major challenge in science: the gap between a groundbreaking idea in a lab and an actual medicine that helps patients.
Scientists pursue high-risk, high-reward ideas, leading to profound new understandings of biology and chemistry 2 .
Specialized divisions develop early discoveries into potential drug candidates 2 .
Revenue from licensed medicines funds more fundamental research, creating a self-renewing innovation cycle 2 .
One of the most exciting recent innovations to come out of Scripps Research is a powerful new tool that lets scientists take a rapid, detailed snapshot of your body's immune defenses.
When a virus enters your body or you receive a vaccine, your immune system launches a counterattack, producing a vast army of antibodies 4 .
A team led by Professor Andrew Ward at Scripps Research has invented a game-changing technology: the mEM microchip (microfluidic EM-based polyclonal epitope mapping) 4 .
A tiny drop of blood (about 4 microliters) is placed onto the reusable microchip.
The blood flows through microscopic channels where viral proteins are fixed in place.
The viral proteins with attached antibodies are gently released from the chip.
Samples are imaged using an electron microscope, revealing antibody binding sites.
A toolkit of salts that easily attach important functional groups to nitrogen-containing heterocycles—common structures in pill-based drugs 6 .
A technique that flash-freezes biomolecules to capture their 3D structure at atomic resolution 5 .
Uses human skin or blood cells reprogrammed into stem cells, which can then be turned into any cell type 8 .
From its humble beginnings as the Scripps Metabolic Clinic in 1924, founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, the institute has grown into one of the world's most influential biomedical institutions 1 9 .
Development of the leukemia drug Leustatin and total chemical synthesis of the cancer drug Taxol 9 .
Major contributions to understanding the immune system and developing new immunotherapies.
By seamlessly connecting fundamental scientific inquiry with the practical goal of creating new medicines, Scripps Research ensures that today's basic discoveries become tomorrow's health solutions 2 .