THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE CORPORATION

Their core work

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is a premier US-based biomedical research institution located in La Jolla, California, with deep expertise in organic chemistry, catalysis, and immunology. In the H2020 context, they serve exclusively as a third-party host for Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellows, providing world-class lab environments for early-career European researchers working on electrochemistry, synthetic chemistry, and immune checkpoint biology. Their contribution centers on training researchers in advanced chemical synthesis methods — particularly electrochemical and radical-based reactions — and in molecular immunology related to T cell signaling and arthritis therapeutics.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

TSRI's early H2020 involvement (2016–2019) was diverse, spanning peptide synthesis, enantioselective catalysis with MOFs, and arthritis research — reflecting Scripps' broad fundamental science base. From 2019 onward, a clear convergence emerged around electrochemistry: fluorination under flow conditions, electrochemical cross-coupling, and electrochemical halogenation became dominant themes, with three of four later projects centered on electrochemical methods. A parallel thread in immunology (CD28/T cell checkpoint biology) appeared in 2021, suggesting a secondary axis in immuno-oncology.

TSRI is consolidating around electrochemistry-driven synthetic methods, making them a strong partner for any consortium needing advanced electrochemical reaction expertise applied to drug discovery or materials chemistry.

How they like to work

TSRI participates exclusively as a third party in MSCA fellowships — they have never coordinated or formally partnered in an H2020 project. This means they host individual researchers rather than manage consortium deliverables, making them a low-overhead, high-expertise collaboration target. With 21 unique partners across 11 countries from just 7 projects, they connect to a broad European network through the fellows they host.

Despite being a US institution, TSRI connects to 21 distinct European partners across 11 countries through MSCA fellowships. Their network is wide but shallow — built through individual researcher mobility rather than deep institutional partnerships.

What sets them apart

As a top-tier US research institute participating in European framework programs, TSRI offers fellows and partners access to resources and expertise that few European institutions can match in organic and medicinal chemistry. Their concentrated strength in electrochemical synthesis methods — particularly radical-mediated reactions — represents a specific technical niche where they host multiple successive fellows, indicating sustained lab capability rather than one-off interest. For consortium builders, TSRI provides a transatlantic dimension and prestige that strengthens MSCA training network proposals.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ElectroCatFlow
  Bridges electrochemistry with medicinal chemistry and PET tracer development, demonstrating direct pharmaceutical application of TSRI's synthetic chemistry expertise.
• CD28
  Represents TSRI's immunology axis — investigating T cell checkpoint biology relevant to cancer immunotherapy, a departure from their chemistry-dominated portfolio.
• EnanSET
  Combines homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis (MOFs) with single-electron transfer, showing TSRI's ability to bridge traditional and materials-based catalysis approaches.