Scripps Institute - Florida 

    Scripps Florida is a state-of-the-art biomedical research institute located in Jupiter, Florida (Palm Beach County) on the campus of Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Researchers at Scripps Florida focus on basic biomedical science, drug discovery, and the application of the latest research technology to the drug discovery process. Currently more than 170 researchers and support staff are working in two temporary facilities(74,000 square feet of lab space) on FAU. Expansion into a 350,000 square foot, three-building permanent complex is projected for early 2009.

    Start-up costs of Scripps Florida—a division of The Scripps Research Institute headquartered in La Jolla, California—are supported by a one-time $310 million appropriation of federal economic development funds by the Florida State Legislature. Palm Beach County is providing an economic package that includes the 100 land and funding for construction of the permanent facility and related costs, as well as funding for construction of the two temporary facilities on the FAU Jupiter campus.

    Building a biotechnology industry is an important component in Florida's continuing efforts to build a knowledge-based economy. The Scripps Research Institute has an international reputation for pioneering research programs relevant to current medical needs in human diseases and is expected to attract research, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies to the area. Scripps sees the new operations as an opportunity to increase the scope of its cutting-edge science, to recruit new world-class scientists, and to establish itself as a national organization for scientific and philanthropic purposes.

Scientific Organization of Scripps Florida

    Scripps Florida's scientific departments are geared toward answering some of the most important questions in biology and medicine. Much of the work at Scripps Florida will be dedicated to basic biomedical research, a vital segment of medical research that seeks to comprehend the most fundamental processes of life. Additionally, researchers at Scripps Florida are developing cutting-edge technologies, using these tools to examine the basic biology of human health, and are applying their discoveries towards finding new and better potential treatments for a variety of devastating human diseases: AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, depression, diabetes, hepatitis C, obesity, mad cow disease, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia, to name a few.

    Presently, Scripps Florida is comprised of three academic departments, Cancer Biology, Infectology, and the new Molecular Therapeutics, and the Translational Research Institute (TRI), which consists of two primary components, Advanced Technologies and Drug Discovery. Faculty in the academic departments, like their counterparts at Scripps Research in California, engage in basic research in a wide variety of biomedical fields. Faculty in the TRI apply edge-cutting technologies to advances in basic biomedical fields, focusing on a drug discovery platform. A number of Scripps Florida faculty have joint appointments in both the TRI and an academic department. It is anticipated that additional departments will be established at Scripps Florida as we continue to build out academic programs in the biological and chemical sciences.

Collaborations with Scripps Florida

    Scripps Florida presents many valuable opportunities for collaborations with research efforts both within Florida and throughout the United States. The institute’s goal is to develop effective collaborations with Florida research groups wherever possible. This has initially involved information dissemination including seminar programs that describe the growing capabilities of Scripps Florida to potential collaborators, as well as printed and web-based materials. In addition, the monthly Collaborative Seminar series offers an opportunity for outstanding Florida-based researchers to present their work to Scripps Florida faculty.

    A formal collaboration request process is being established where a team of scientists will evaluate written proposals aimed at enabling research in Florida facilities by granting access to technological capabilities at Scripps Florida. These proposals will be examined based upon scientific merit. The goal is to leverage the joint effort to generate external funding to support the collaborative activities at both participating institutions.

Education Programs

    A doctoral program is currently underway that will ultimately serve about 24 students seeking their Ph.D. It began on a limited basis in 2005. In addition, the Scripps Florida Education and Outreach Program promotes bioscience education and awareness throughout the state of Florida by advocating career opportunities in the biosciences for middle and high school students and undergraduates, assisting middle and high school teachers with bioscience education initiatives and, for the public in general, fostering an understanding of the basic ties that exist between biomedical research and human health. Scripps Florida also offers a Summer Research Internship Program for high schools students and science teachers. These activities are supported by a generous gift from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust.