TMS Bioscience

TMS Bioscience clinical laboratory provides specialty tandem mass spectrometry testing. Monitoring of transplant patient immunosuppression is a core service, including the unique HomeTrak™ kit option that let's patients obtain samples at-home. Other areas of expertise are reference lab out-sourcing and a variety of specialty lab services for clients.

Southern Research Institute

Southern Research Institute is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 scientific research organization that conducts preclinical drug discovery and development, and advanced engineering research in materials, systems development, environment and energy. Its scientists excel in conducting translational research, taking basic and/or academic research concepts, evaluating them, and conducting the research needed to move discoveries from bench to the commercial marketplace.

Southern Research has an enviable track record in drug discovery, with more than 20 drugs entering clinical trials. Of those, six have received FDA approval and are currently in use. Currently Southern Research has seven additional drugs in late stage preclinical and early clinical trials. Southern Research was recently named one of the NCI’s five Comprehensive Chemical Biology Centers in a program to coordinate and accelerate the discovery and development of new cancer therapeutics. Southern Research scientists are also playing a major role in the evaluation of new and existing flu vaccines and therapies, including those for the H1N1 (swine) flu.

More than 550 scientific and engineering team members support clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy industries. Southern Research is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., with facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Anniston, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC and offices in New Orleans, La., Washington, DC and Kiev, Ukraine.

The Southern Research Institute office in New Orleans focuses on generating opportunities with universities and companies to support research in Louisiana. Leading the office in New Orleans is Rhonda Jung, head of Public Relations and New Market Development.

For more information about Southern Research and its capabilities and accomplishments, visit www.SouthernResearch.org.

Argent Technology Ventures

Argent Technology Ventures is a venture capital fund in the process of being formed to make seed and early stage investments largely in the health care area, and will be focused on Texas and Louisiana, but seek opportunities in the entire Southern tier from Arizona to Florida.  In addition to its office in New Orleans, upon the fund’s closing Argent will maintain offices in Baton Rouge and in Houston, Texas.

SLIIDR - LVC - CTRECP Academic Bioscience Research Commercialization

The academic research commercialization team represents a consolidation of the commercial goals related to 3 academic inter-institutional initiatives funded by the Louisiana Board of Regents and shared by LSU Health Sciences Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center and Xavier University; which include the South Louisiana Institute for Infectious Disease Research (SLIIDR), the Louisiana Vaccine Center (LVC), and the Clinical and Translational Research, Education and Commercialization Project (CTRECP).

The goal of the team is to assist in the identification of novel bioscience inventions and to support the local translation and commercial development of these innovations. An operational focus exists on areas of local academic strength defined by the grant programs; which currently includes infectious diseases, vaccine R&D and clinical and translational research.

Commercialization Coordinator Steven Ceulemans heads the academic research commercialization team housed at NOBIC and leads a team of fellows, interns, and externs to support academic bioscience research commercialization in the Greater New Orleans area.

Greater New Orleans Biosciences Economic Development District (GNOBEDD)

The Greater New Orleans Biosciences Economic Development District (GNOBEDD) is a state-enabled economic development entity that has been charged with the responsibility of growing the biosciences sector of the New Orleans economy. The District, which is bounded by Loyola Ave., Iberville St., Carrolton Ave., and Earhart Blvd., contains the Louisiana State University and Tulane University Health Science Centers, Xavier University and School of Pharmacy, and Delgado College.

President and CEO James P. McNamara and a Board of Commissioners, head the project.

New Orleans Medical Complex (NOrMC)

NOrMC is a collaboration of universities in the medical sciences to further the development of the Medical District. NOrMC is concentrating on Workforce Development in Greater New Orleans. The goal is to train and increase a workforce from New Orleans that will be able to work in the Medical Sciences.