Thermo Fisher Scientific has opened a cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) drug discovery centre in South San Francisco designed to support pharmaceutical and biotechnology researchers working on structure-based drug development.
The facility provides access to advanced cryo-EM technologies and scientific expertise intended to help researchers analyse biological structures and accelerate therapeutic discovery.
Cryo-EM centre aims to accelerate structural drug discovery
The Cryo-Electron Microscopy Drug Discovery Center (CDDC) offers pharmaceutical and biotechnology scientists hands-on access to cryo-EM instrumentation and specialist support. According to Thermo Fisher Scientific, the aim is to help research teams generate structural insights that guide drug development programmes.
Cryo-electron microscopy allows researchers to visualise biological molecules at near-atomic resolution. As a result, the technique is increasingly used to identify drug targets and support structure-guided drug design.
Lowering barriers to adoption of cryo-EM technology
The new centre is designed to reduce barriers for organisations seeking to adopt cryo-EM methods in drug discovery workflows. Access to instrumentation, technical expertise and collaborative environments may help pharmaceutical companies integrate structural analysis earlier in research programmes.
Structure-guided drug discovery has been associated with higher clinical success rates and shorter preclinical development timelines compared with traditional discovery approaches.
Building on existing cryo-EM collaborations
The South San Francisco facility builds on Thermo Fisher Scientific’s previous cryo-EM partnerships, including the UK Pharmaceutical Cryo-EM Consortium established in Cambridge in 2016. The consortium involves collaboration between Thermo Fisher Scientific and multiple pharmaceutical companies.
The new centre is expected to follow a similar collaborative model, bringing together pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners in the Bay Area biotechnology ecosystem.
Strategic location in biotechnology hub
The CDDC is located in the Oyster Point district of South San Francisco, a major hub for biotechnology research and development. The centre combines advanced cryo-EM instrumentation with a collaborative research environment for scientists working on new therapies.
Further details are available on the Thermo Fisher Scientific website.
