biomedical research institute san antonio

Register and participate in the 2023 Global Health Symposium, brought to you by Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

About texas biomed, saving lives with the power of scientific discovery.

Texas Biomedical Research Institute aims to unravel the mysteries of infectious diseases through innovative thinking, creative problem solving and cutting edge technologies.

We Make Today’s Discoveries Possible of Becoming Tomorrow’s Cures.

Since its founding in 1941 by Thomas B. Slick Jr., the Texas Biomedical Research Institute has gained worldwide recognition in scientific and academic communities for the quality of its basic research.

Our scientists work each and every day to improve human health by being a world leader in lifestyle and infectious disease research. Each year, our scientists are engaged in more than 200 research projects and publish well over 100 articles in the international scientific literature.

Located on a 200-acre campus on the northwest side of San Antonio, Texas, Texas Biomed partners with hundreds of researchers and institutions around the world, targeting advances in the fight against infectious diseases impacting our communities around the world, including AIDS, TB, hepatitis, malaria, hemorrhagic fever viruses, parasitic infections and many other infectious diseases. We also study co-morbidities of infection and vulnerable populations, such as the very young and the elderly and those suffering from cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders.

Its staff of more than 350 employees includes a multidisciplinary team of approximately 65+ doctoral-level scientists who lead more than 200 major research projects in the Institute’s three program areas of Disease Intervention & Prevention , Host Pathogen Interaction and Population Health , as well as the Southwest National Primate Research Center.

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Texas biomedical research institute.

As one of the world’s leading independent biomedical research institutions, Texas Biomedical Research Institute is dedicated to advancing the health of our global community through innovative biomedical research.

Its staff of more than 300 employees includes a multidisciplinary team of approximately 84 doctoral-level scientists who lead more than 200 major research projects. Texas Biomed partners with hundreds of researchers and institutions around the world, targeting advances in the fight against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, psychiatric and neurological disorders, problems of pregnancy, diseases of aging, AIDS, diseases of the eye, hepatitis, malaria, parasitic infections and a host of other infectious diseases.

Located on a 200-acre campus on the northwest side of San Antonio, Texas, the scientists have access to some extraordinary resources:

The Southwest National Primate Research Center and the world’s largest colony of baboons for biomedical research, including a unique pedigreed colony of approximately 1,200 animals. The Institute enjoys a distinguished history in the innovative, humane and appropriate use of nonhuman primates for biomedical research.

Home to the nation’s only privately owned biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory. This maximum containment lab allows for safe research on lethal pathogens for which there are no treatments or vaccines, including potential bio-terror agents and emerging diseases.

The AT&T Genomics Computing Center, which houses one of the world’s largest computer clusters for human genetic and genomic research. This high-performance computing facility allows scientists to search for disease-influencing genes at record speed.

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Texas biomedical research institute to expand facilities, bring new jobs to san antonio, president and ceo dr. larry schlesinger said he expects 1,700 new jobs as the facility expands.

Max Massey , Reporter/Anchor

SAN ANTONIO – Texas Biomedical Research Institute is a nonprofit infectious disease facility in San Antonio that has worked on life-saving sciences.

Of the numerous diseases the institute has worked on, the organization’s COVID-19 research helped develop Pfizer’s vaccine, as well as therapeutics.

The President and CEO of Texas Biomed, Dr. Larry Schlesinger, joined Leading SA on Sunday to talk about the development process for the vaccine and what comes next for the institute.

“A lot of contributions to the institute launched our animal studies and in two months, validated those animal studies. And that’s what enabled early on for us to interact with Pfizer BioNTech, with Regeneron and Novavax and begin those studies in the late spring of (2020). It was the success in those animal models that resembled the success we’re seeing in humans that enabled those clinical studies to begin in the summer of 2020. And it’s hard to believe that the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine that Texas Biomed did all the work on has now been a year in administration to humans. Almost half a billion of those vaccines have been distributed worldwide, and I’m very proud of that accomplishment alone,” Dr. Schlesinger said.

Right now, Texas Biomed is in year two of a 10-year strategic growth plan that is expected to have a $3.2 billion impact on the local economy.

“The animal care complex is the first major capital project of our 10-year strategic plan in which we really are going to do a redo of the campus. This is an amazing project on the south end of campus. It’s really four buildings, 18,000 square feet of space, and it’s going to enable us to greatly expand what is a national and global shortage,” said Dr. Schlesinger.

The plan also includes a new veterinary hospital, where 150 employees will work out of to attend to animals that are taking part in the medical studies, according to Dr. Schlesinger.

“Animal caretakers can come together and deliver state-of-the-art humane care to those animals as we work with them to achieve great discovery that helps humans. This is going to be for buildings, and it was launched by actually a federal grant from Economic Development Administration and then generous donations by donors in the community, as well as institutional resources that enable us to build this building. This is really just the start of several of our capital projects. Stay tuned: our center research building, which will be our new front door building, is really what we’re developing research sources for now. So, you know, these are game-changing opportunities for the institute in San Antonio,” Dr. Schlesinger said.

Dr. Schlesinger said this is just the start for Texas Biomed and the biomedical sector here in the Alamo City.

“This is a tremendous economic development plan for the city. We’re talking about moving from just under 400 current employees to 700 employees. These are high-wage-earning jobs. We anticipate our plan will bring in about 1,700 new jobs, either directly or indirectly to the institute. And, and I think it’s a great opportunity. There are three things I’d emphasize about Texas Biomed in terms of besides the science and our growth for the future, and that is economic development,” Dr. Schlesinger said.

The future is bright for the medical research institute and education plays a key role.

“It’s education and you know, currently we have about 10,000 students that we interact with in San Antonio and all 17 school districts for STEM. We have internships, externships, students on campus. We do outreach; it’s a very important part of Texas Biomed,” Dr. Schlesinger said.

San Antonio is Military City, USA and that connection is vital to the biomedical industry.

“Currently, we have grants with the military and we expect to expand them. And then finally, it’s the culture of San Antonio. The four presidents of the major research organizations in town, we speak frequently. We have collaborative research arrangements. It’s about exploiting all the talent resources San Antonio has to bear. And then, it’s about telling the world about us. We’re not a secret. We’re actually a great economic engine for the future in biomedical science and health care and I think our future is very bright and great,” Dr. Schlesinger said.

You can watch the full interview with Dr. Schlesinger in the video player above.

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About the Author

Max Massey is the GMSA weekend anchor and a general assignments reporter. Max has been live at some of the biggest national stories out of Texas in recent years, including the Sutherland Springs shooting, Hurricane Harvey and the manhunt for the Austin bomber. Outside of work, Max follows politics and sports, especially Penn State, his alma mater.

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https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/texas-biomedical-research-institute

Texas Biomedical Research Institute

By: Stacy Maloney and Joseph Carey

Published: September 24, 2012

Updated: November 30, 2022

Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed), formerly the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, was established in 1941 by Thomas Baker Slick, Jr. Around that time he envisioned a facility devoted to scientific research. With an inheritance, he had purchased 1,600 acres west of San Antonio, which he named the Essar Ranch. On December 16, 1941, he established the Foundation of Applied Research to be operated by a board of trustees. In 1948 Harold Vagtborg became the first president of the foundation. During the early years the institution's headquarters were located at a large estate known as the Cable House, which Slick purchased and restored. Originally, work centered on military-oriented inventions, cloud-seeding experiments, and improvements for on-site construction. Slick and Vagtborg soon focused their energies on recruiting notable scientists for biomedical research. Prominent researchers included Henry C. McGill, Jr., specializing in the field of heart research and the study of baboons as animal models, Joseph Goldzieher pioneering in safe birth-control pills, and Nicholas Werthessen studying atherosclerosis, among others. In 1952 the name of the organization was changed to Southwest Foundation for Research and Education. In the mid-1950s the foundation bought the Argyle Hotel and converted the facility into a private club. Members of the Argyle Club, a prestigious private group in San Antonio society, began a long tradition of financial support to the Southwest Foundation. In 1958 the facility established the world's largest baboon colony for the purpose of medical research. Charles F. and Berenice Urschel (mother of Thomas Slick) provided the Urschel Memorial Laboratory in 1969.

In 1982 the organization's name was changed to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. Throughout the 1980s and into the 2000s the foundation continued to play a vital role in promoting pioneer research. Studies of heart disease covered a wide range of genetic research, population studies, and primate testing. In 1993 the AT&T Genetics Computing Center opened; in 2011 it contained 8,000 computer processors working in parallel to find disease-influencing genes. Scientists also conducted tests for the study of cancer, viral diseases, and disorders in newborn babies. The foundation increasingly focused on hepatitis C research and the development of possible vaccines and new therapies through testing with chimpanzees. In 1999 it completed construction of the only privately-owned biosafety level 4 laboratory offering a safe environment for scientists to study deadly pathogens for which there are no treatments or vaccines. The institution produced ongoing staff publications of research findings and participated with a network of worldwide scientific organizations to share information. As part of the Southwest Research Consortium it also cooperated with area groups including the UT Health Science Center, Southwest Research Institute , and Brooke Army Medical Center .

In 2011 the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research became the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and operated on a 200-acre campus with 275,000 square feet of laboratory space, as well as offices, a library, an animal hospital, and facilities housing 2,000 baboons and more than 3,000 other animals. Plans were underway to undertake a major campus enhancement program including 70,000 square feet of new laboratory and office space. Texas Biomed had an operating budget of $50 million, with a majority of funds supplied by donations and grants. As of 2012 the staff consisted of 370 employees. Kenneth P. Trevett was president of Texas Biomed, and John R. Hurd was chair of the board of trustees.

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• Bibliography

Progress in Biomedical Research , March 1991. Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research: The First Half Century (Brochure, San Antonio, 1991). Texas Biomedical Research Institute (http://txbiomed.org/), accessed September 13, 2012.

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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style , 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.

Stacy Maloney and Joseph Carey, “Texas Biomedical Research Institute,” Handbook of Texas Online , accessed August 15, 2024, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/texas-biomedical-research-institute.

Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

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The Where I Work series explores San Antonio’s evolving workplaces. It takes readers behind the scenes to learn from the people who work at companies large and small, nonprofits, family-owned enterprises, and in other nontraditional workplaces. Get in touch to share your story.

In the weeks leading up to the arrival of COVID-19 in Texas, there was a sense of curiosity and anticipation among the scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute . We were curious to understand how the novel virus affected the human body and anticipating having to spring into action to find a defense against its spread. When the World Health Organization declared a pandemic in early 2020, we all put down our research to focus our energy on this new pathogen. It felt like we were racing against time.

Every day, including weekends, I would drive to work, thinking this is what we are trained for . I worked in biocontainment safety level-3 labs, which are for pathogens that do not have a vaccine or treatment. I would be in the lab from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, with limited contact with the outside world. In order to do my work, I had to suit up in a full-body suit, two sets of gloves, booties, hair net and a powered air-purifying, full-face respirator. All of our work took place in biosafety hoods with layers of safety protocols that needed to be followed. It was physically challenging not to eat, drink or use the restroom for extended periods of time, but we knew how important the work was. 

After following all the proper decontamination procedures at the end of the day, I would go home and care for my family. It was challenging as a mother and a scientist to balance taking care of my 6-year-old daughter and her virtual school with the immense responsibility of conducting critical research.

In those early days, our research was focused on preparing an animal model that could represent humans sick with COVID-19. The animal models then helped perform efficacy trials for vaccines and therapies now being used against this deadly disease, including the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody cocktail.

The studies require experts from different fields to work together, including lab scientists, pathologists, veterinarians, research assistants and biosafety personnel. Every person is tasked with a specific part of the study, and there were about 30 to 40 people involved at all levels to get the project completed on schedule. It was a truly humbling feeling to be a part of this mammoth project, a remarkable achievement of teamwork and unrelenting determination of all involved. 

While the pace of research has not slowed, we are able to resume many of our other research projects now. I started at Texas Biomed in 2019 as a post-doctorate fellow to pursue research on two of the world’s leading killers: tuberculosis (TB) and HIV. I got promoted to staff scientist in 2021 and have continued my journey to understand how these two deadly pathogens work together to cause mortality. 

Across the world, TB infection rates remain high, causing extensive morbidity and mortality. In addition, coinfection with HIV often reactivates latent TB, exacerbating the problem. Texas has the third-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. and, while TB occurs less often here, advancement in our understanding of both diseases has the potential to benefit our neighbors along with millions of others.

I am the lead on three studies investigating anti-viral and anti-bacterial therapies for TB/HIV coinfection. We are also trying to develop vaccines against both diseases. My research involves studying how tuberculosis and HIV diseases impact each other inside the body and how the TB bacterium and HIV virus interact to make the situation worse. Once I have knowledge of mechanisms at work both genetically and in the immune system, I am able to study specific biological or genetic markers that can then be targeted for future vaccines or therapeutics. By blocking these biomarkers using synthetic molecules, it is possible to then study if we are able to slow down the disease or prevent one pathogen from having a detrimental effect on the other.  

Along with research, I really enjoy educating school and college students about the significance of biomedical research and sharing my career journey so far. 

I have been intrigued by the human body since my high school biology class. Working with my teachers in the biology lab was fascinating, especially learning about how all the organs function and the complex and diverse ways the human body defends itself against pathogens. This fascination led me to pursue a career that has taken me all over the world, from India to Australia, then France and now Texas. 

I studied microbiology and biochemistry at Bangalore University and specialized in microbial pathogenesis for my master’s degree from Panjab University. Then I went on to Central Queensland University in Australia for my doctorate, where I developed a cost-effective technique using copper storage vessels to reduce the incidence of water-borne diseases in developing nations. It was very fulfilling to take my research from bench to the field, providing a real-world solution for a very serious problem.

During my post-doctoral fellowship at the Pasteur Institute in France, I discovered a brand-new therapeutic target to treat a bacteria associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder in a mouse model, which is now in human clinical trials. While at Pasteur, I had the joy of giving birth to my daughter and took a productive break to spend time raising her. During my maternity break, I continued to publish my research; to pivot the next phase of my career, I won a grant that allowed me to come to the U.S. to study respiratory pathogens at Texas A&M University Health Science Center . 

There, I led research on a novel technique to image TB bacterium for vaccine research. My extensive training in preclinical small animal models and respiratory pathogens led me to join the lab of Deepak Kaushal at Texas Biomed and the Southwest National Primate Research Center, which is one of only seven such nationally-recognized and supported centers in the country.

At Texas Biomed, I’m able to conduct my research, collaborate with the leaders of the field and grow as a scientist. I am excited to make contributions to improving our understanding of the human body’s response to two leading causes of death in the world and hope that my work will lead to the development of a combined vaccine against them in the years ahead.

Texas Biomedical Research Institute is a financial supporter of the San Antonio Report. For a full list of business members, click  here .

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We Are BioMed SA Hub of the Life Science Industry in San Antonio

BioMedSA is a member-driven hub for the life science industry in San Antonio with the mission to accelerate the growth of the healthcare and bioscience sector, create regional economic benefit, and contribute to the health of San Antonio and beyond.

Learn about BioMedSA and its impact on the biomedical sector.

Working in the healthcare and bioscience industry in san antonio.

San Antonio maintains a comparatively affordable cost of living, yet it is one of the largest cities in America. The city’s cost of living only multiplies San Antonio’s appeal as a great city for business with a vibrant culture. The spirit of collaboration is embedded in the life science industry, as companies routinely collaborate with other organizations in San Antonio.  BioMedSA serves to facilitate those collaborations as a hub for the life science industry in San Antonio.

San Antonio Life Science By the ANNUAL numbers

*numbers are based on 2021 data, san antonio: the friendly city of science and health.

San Antonio, the seventh-largest city in America, is a leader in the life science industry.  The sector combines unique assets, diverse resources, and a tangible spirit of collaboration. San Antonio is home to two Level 1 trauma centers and two of the top 10 largest hospitals in the US, one of the largest US military healthcare systems with research facilities, medical education programs and training complexes. The region has two independent and two university-run large-scale research organizations and the largest independent, non-profit testing laboratory in the US.

BioMed SA Membership

Members in BioMedSA have a desire to grow the life science industry, and receive many direct benefits in return. Members have reduced-pricing access to all BioMedSA programming and events. BioMedSA shares members’ news releases on our website, social media, and related companies that may be interested in collaboration.

Members have access to fundraising opportunities, including the national Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) to participate in military medical funding opportunities that may not be available elsewhere. Members also have access to legislative advocacy planning, industry task forces, BioMedSA program planning, and nominations for the BioMedSA Innovation Award. Through the nation-wide Bio Business Solutions® program, BioMedSA members can realize significant cost savings for lab supplies, insurance, and a variety of business services.

Industry Resources

The spirit of collaboration thrives in San Antonio’s life science industry across all sectors. World-renown dedicated research institutions Texas Biomedical Research Institute and Southwest Research Institute, collaborate with the University of Texas Health Science Center and the University of Texas San Antonio to form a powerful foundation for healthcare innovations that save lives around the world, supported by 4 area hospital systems and several independent hospitals. San Antonio is also home to the largest US military medical center and training complex and also conducts life-saving medical research. Companies in San Antonio enjoy close access to these big entities for collaboration as well as medtech, biotech, and other life science companies located in San Antonio. Healthcare innovations are developed and commercialized by a strong start-up medtech and biotech community, incubators, and local manufacturing.

BioMedSA Innovation Award

Each year, BioMedSA members select a recipient for the Innovation Award to recognize individuals who have created novel ideas and put them into action, leading to transformational advancements in patient care, technology, leadership, education, public policy, and other arenas within the life science industry. Recipients may have professional experience in science, medicine, business, public policy, or non-profit sectors.

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August 13, 2024 — Using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a Southwest Research Institute-led team has confirmed hydroxyl molecules on the surface of the metallic asteroid Psyche. The presence of hydrated minerals suggests a complex history for Psyche, important context for the NASA spacecraft en route to this interesting asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

At about 140 miles in diameter, Psyche is one of the most massive objects in the main asteroid belt. Previous observations indicate that Psyche is a dense, largely metallic object that could be a leftover core from a planet that experienced a catastrophic collision. On Oct. 13, 2023, NASA launched the Psyche spacecraft, which is traveling 2.2 billion miles to arrive at the asteroid in August 2029.

“Using telescopes at different wavelengths of infrared light, the SwRI-led research will provide different but complementary information to what the Psyche spacecraft is designed to study,” said SwRI’s Dr. Tracy Becker, second author of a new American Astronomical Society’s Planetary Science Journal paper discussing these findings.

“Our understanding of solar system evolution is closely tied to interpretations of asteroid composition, particularly the M-class asteroids that contain higher concentrations of metal,” said Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian’s Dr. Stephanie Jarmak, the paper’s lead author, who conducted much of this research while at SwRI. “These asteroids were initially thought to be the exposed cores of differentiated planetesimals, a hypothesis based on their spectral similarity to iron meteorites.”

The Webb data point to hydroxyl and perhaps water on Psyche’s surface. The hydrated minerals could result from external sources, including impactors. If the hydration is native or endogenous, then Psyche may have a different evolutionary history than current models suggest.

“Asteroids are leftovers from the planetary formation process, so their compositions vary depending on where they formed in the solar nebula,” said SwRI’s Dr. Anicia Arredondo, another co-author. “Hydration that is endogenous could suggest that Psyche is not the remnant core of a protoplanet. Instead, it could suggest that Psyche originated beyond the ‘snow line,’ the minimum distance from the Sun where protoplanetary disc temperatures are low enough for volatile compounds to condense into solids, before migrating to the outer main belt.”

However, the paper found the variability in the strength of the hydration features across the observations implies a heterogeneous distribution of hydrated minerals. This variability suggests a complex surface history that could be explained by impacts from carbonaceous chondrite asteroids thought to be very hydrated.

Understanding the location of asteroids and their compositions tells us how materials in the solar nebula were distributed and have evolved since formation. How water is distributed in our solar system will provide insight into the distribution of water in other solar systems and, because water is necessary for all life on Earth, will drive where to look for potential life, both in our solar system and beyond.

NASA’s Webb telescope, developed in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies, is part of the Space Telescope Science Institute, operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. The Psyche mission is led by Arizona State University. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for mission management, operations and navigation.

To access the “Estimate of water and hydroxyl abundance on asteroid (16) Psyche from JWST data” paper, see  https://arxiv.org/pdf/2407.12162 . The paper will be published in the Planetary Science Journal and will be accessible at 10.3847/PSJ/ad66b9.

For more information, visit Planetary Science or contact Deb Schmid , +1 210 522 2254 , Communications Department, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238-5166.

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