Turnkey research facility expands network in biotech-rich area
SAN CARLOS, Calif.—Explora BioLabs, a national provider of industry-leading preclinical vivarium research space and management services based in San Diego, opened a new facility in the San Francisco Bay region on July 26, 2021.
The facility, located in San Carlos between San Francisco and San Jose, joins other Explora BioLabs facilities in the region that opened recently or are planned to open (an Alameda location opened in May, and two South San Francisco facilities will open by December 2021).
The new San Carlos facility provides biotechnology companies with fully managed off-site vivarium and research space, as well as access to preclinical research services and Ph.D.-level staff. The facility allows researchers to focus on their science while Explora BioLabs’ staff handles the preclinical in vivo management, husbandry, logistics, and compliance requirements. All Explora BioLabs facilities feature state-of-the-art equipment and operations, all of which are validated through AAALAC accreditation, NIH/OLAW assurance, and best-in-class health monitoring.
The new facility marks a further expansion of Explora BioLabs’ nationwide Vivarium-as-a-Service® network. The network is designed for biotechnology companies that are not yet ready or able to invest in their own vivaria, and for those who have outgrown their current research space and need supplemental solutions. Other facilities in Explora BioLabs’ national network are spread throughout San Francisco, San Diego, Calif., and Boston, Mass.
“As a small biotech company discovering and developing translational inhibitors in oncology, we needed a vivarium management solution that was more than just a landlord,” said Associate Director of R&D Jocelyn Staunton at eFFECTOR Therapeutics, an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company located in San Diego. “Explora BioLabs provided the professional infrastructure we were seeking, as well as animal husbandry, a compliance backbone, and scientific experience—everything we need to support our work and set us up for pharmacological success.”
“The San Francisco Bay area is one of the country’s most exciting, vital regions for biotechnology research and we’re happy to offer greater support to the life-changing work researchers are doing in the area,” said Sandy Paige, Explora BioLabs’ CEO. “Our goal is to create the kind of vivarium network in San Francisco that gives biotechs flexibility to have remote teams working in multiple locations and make smart real estate decisions as they grow. They’ll have more choice in where they expand knowing there will be an Explora facility for their research nearby.”
For nearly two decades, Explora has provided services to companies ranging from early stage biotechs to large pharma. Explora’s service model is backed by Ph.D.-level scientists with experience in preclinical in vivo workflow. As part of Explora’s service package, staff can assist in or run preclinical studies for clients in the event of capacity or expertise limitations.
About Explora BioLabs
Explora BioLabs provides Ph.D.-backed Vivarium-as-a-Service® solutions for preclinical vivaria, compliance, husbandry, and research services for over 100 clients through a network of facilities in San Francisco, San Diego, and Boston. Explora manages dozens of additional facilities for OnSite clients who have their own existing vivarium but prefer the ease of utilizing Explora’s expertise in vivarium management and regulatory oversight. Explora’s preclinical CRO team in each biotech market hub also services the study design and execution needs of clients who choose to outsource preclinical work in oncology, metabolism, toxicology, pain, and a variety of other common therapeutic areas.
For more information, visit explorabiolabs.com.
