One new key area of focus for the IBRI is molecular innovation or utilizing the power of chemistry to study complex disease processes and create novel therapeutics that will impact underserved diseases.
The IBRI has done this in four ways:
- By accessing cutting-edge technologies such as the Schrödinger digital chemistry platform. This tool will enable the IBRI’s molecular innovation team to design and optimize molecular therapeutics and improve the effectiveness in targeting disease. The computer simulations, property predictions and data management that are part of the Schrödinger platform will transform the way IBRI scientists and collaborators rapidly design and evaluate potential therapeutics. The IBRI also has partnered with Collaborative Drug Discovery, Inc. to use its CDD Vault® software to manage the Institute’s experimental data, provide infrastructure for tracking its compound inventory and improve management of its diverse research programs.
- By hiring key scientific talent that includes Mary Mader, PhD, vice president of molecular innovation, and Mark Kowala, PhD, vice president of translational science. Mader brings to the IBRI an ability to address problems across drug discovery ranging from project initiation to the delivery of new drugs into clinical testing. Kowala seeks to increase the clinical success rate of new drugs at the IBRI with a focus on validating new targets with human genetics, humanized disease models, soluble biomarkers and physiological data.
- By increasing collaborations with academic institutions and life sciences companies to foster new initiatives that advance disease science and promote entrepreneurship to grow the biomedical community.
- By expanding facilities to include a new chemistry lab that will help us, and our collaborators, translate new disease understandings into innovative medicines and propel the regional life sciences ecosystem forward.