Scripps Research Collaborative Innovation Fund
It takes a team to bring an idea to life.
Our Mission
The Scripps Research Collaborative Innovation Fund (CIF) is a critical fund designed to empower collaborative teams in their quest to advance science into real-world application. By bringing together scientists, the CIF helps surface truly innovative ideas that have the potential to improve global health.
The CIF was established to address the challenge that this type of science faces in securing financial support at its inception. Based on understanding that: 1) such projects are best recognized by world-class innovators, 2) opportunity is amplified by seed funding provided to these worthy projects, and 3) correctly applied, funding can catalyze valuable productive research at the underfunded interfaces of scientific disciplines, the Fund is designed to catalyze the next wave of innovation at Scripps Research, drawing on the momentum of its current environment and talent.
Scripps Research has created an exceptional environment for exceptional contributions by many investigators who have followed their instincts to deliver truly paradigm-shifting discoveries. The Collaborative Innovation Fund will expand opportunities for other Scripps Research investigators to break ground in new areas of science. Their pioneering work will be amplified by cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Application Information
Meet the Winners
The Collaborative Innovation Fund recognizes that high-risk, high-reward basic research projects may lie at the intersection of disciplines and involve partnership of two or more research laboratories on the Scripps Research campus.
Team #1: Phil Baran & Yuzhong Liu
Biosynthesis and evolution of new-to-nature peptide antibiotics
Their research strives to develop next-generation antibiotics to fight superbugs, leveraging non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) to generate and screen libraries of new antibiotics that can target drug-resistant bacteria like tuberculosis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Team #2: Sumit Chanda, John Teijaro, Christopher Parker & Benjamin Cravatt
Therapeutic discovery through programmable protein heterodimerization
Their project aims to develop technology that rewires how proteins interact inside our cells. By pairing proteins in unique ways, the team aspires to find hidden biological processes that could lead to therapies for various conditions, like cancer, autoimmune diseases and viral infections.
Team #3: Shannon Miller & Howard Hang
A CRISPR-free precision genome editing system for large DNA manipulations
Their project intends to enable DNA editing in human cells without relying on CRISPR technology, which can sometimes cause harmful side effects. By avoiding the breaks in DNA that CRISPR requires, their method could offer a safer, more precise way to develop therapies for genetic disorders like Crohn’s disease.
