FairJourney Bio (FJBio), a global antibody discovery contract research organization (CRO), has officially opened its advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structural biology facility in San Diego. The site significantly expands the company's presence in the US market, following its established operations in San Francisco and Europe.
By incorporating atomic-resolution structural biology directly into its discovery platform, the company aims to provide detailed insights across the entire R&D value chain. The facility's capabilities range from epitope mapping and hit generation to structure-guided lead optimization and candidate selection.
Advanced infrastructure for cryo-EM structural biology
The new facility houses 300 kV cryo-EM infrastructure, featuring two ThermoFisher Titan Krios 5 systems. These instruments enable native-state structure determination of antibody-target complexes, allowing scientists to visualize protein structures at atomic resolution.
The services, which initially launched in January 2026, are designed to complement FJBio’s existing antibody discovery and biologic development portfolio. The company reports that these structural insights are scalable and can be delivered within two to three weeks. This rapid turnaround is intended to inform decision-making across programs by providing high-quality, interpretable results regarding protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes.
The inauguration event included a scientific presentation by Andrew Ward, PhD, a professor of integrative structural and computational biology at The Scripps Research Institute. Ward is recognized for pioneering methods to sequence antibodies directly from cryo-EM data and for determining the first high-resolution structure of the human coronavirus spike protein.
Strategic growth and clinical impact
Founded 14 years ago, FJBio now employs more than 300 scientists. The company has supported more than 250 industry partners and contributed to 19 antibodies that have reached clinical trials or the market.
The investment in the San Diego facility follows a 2024 investment from Partners Group. Since then, the company has focused on expanding its internal machine learning platform and strengthening its proprietary capabilities in rational antibody design.
Christopher Arthur, PhD, chief scientific officer structural biology at FairJourney Bio, noted that the company is moving structural biology from a late-stage confirmatory tool to an early-stage discovery asset. By embedding these insights at the start of the process, lab teams can better shape epitope selection and determine which leads are worth advancing.
Streamlining drug discovery workflows through outsourced structural biology
For lab managers overseeing drug discovery and development, the availability of high-end cryo-EM as a CRO service addresses several operational challenges. Maintaining 300 kV systems like the Titan Krios requires significant capital expenditure, specialized facility requirements, and a highly trained workforce to manage data collection and computational analysis.
Werner Lanthaler, PhD, chief executive officer of FairJourney Bio, stated that the new services are intended to help customers save time and costs while accelerating workflows. By utilizing an integrated "gene to clone to patient" approach, laboratory leadership can leverage external atomic-resolution data to increase the probability of success in the earliest stages of discovery. This model allows labs to access cutting-edge technology without the overhead of in-house instrument maintenance, facilitating more confident decision-making in the transition from hit generation to lead optimization.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
