SYRACUSE — Syracuse University (SU) late last month announced the signing of an agreement with SRC, Inc. that transfers the assets and employees of its bioforensics group to the school. The Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute (FNSSI) in SU’s College of Arts and Sciences signed the agreement with SRC, a nonprofit-research company headquartered […]
SYRACUSE — Syracuse University (SU) late last month announced the signing of an agreement with SRC, Inc. that transfers the assets and employees of its bioforensics group to the school.
The Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute (FNSSI) in SU’s College of Arts and Sciences signed the agreement with SRC, a nonprofit-research company headquartered in Cicero.
As part of the agreement, three SRC scientists become SU employees and continue their research as part of FNSSI.
FNSSI is the nation’s first program to focus on scholarship in forensic and national-security sciences, according to the university.
It works to advance the scientific base and capabilities of forensic science and to train both forensic scientists and those in allied professions, SU said.
Syracuse University has had a “long-standing collaboration with SRC,” so the nonprofit was aware of what SU was aiming to accomplish in developing the FNSSI, says George Langford, dean of The College of Arts and Sciences.
SRC had also been examining areas in which it wanted to grow during its own process of “strategic planning,” Langford says.
“So, it was a perfect match in terms of their interest in having the bioforensics group develop in a different direction and our interest in having them come and join us,” Langford says.
The agreement will build on the work that SRC’s bioforensics group has already started, according to Langford.
In acquiring its core competencies, which includes bioinformatics and the analysis of environmental signatures, the bioforensics group “enhances and underscores” FNSSI’s commitment to forensic-science training and research, according to Langford.
The agreement “significantly” contributes to the research capacity within FNSSI, while benefiting the nation’s forensic and intelligence communities, he adds.
“This transition is a great example of how our research and development partnerships can make a larger impact on keeping America safe and strong,” SRC president Paul Tremont said in the July 24 news release announcing the transfer, adding that FNSSI will help the group’s technology grow and prosper.
The relationship
FNSSI launched in November, 2011, and is physically located inside SU’s Lyman Hall. It began as an activity within the chemistry department, Langford says.
Some faculty members in The College of Arts and Sciences had been conducting basic research that was of interest to both SU and SRC, which prompted further discussions between the organizations, says James Spencer, executive director of FNSSI.
“There’s really a strong synergy,” says Spencer.
Spencer also serves as the college’s associate dean for science, mathematics, and research, as well as chemistry professor.
As the bioforensics units at SU and at SRC began to grow and expand, “it made sense that at some point … [it] might be valuable to combine them,” Spencer adds.
SRC eventually opened a dialogue with SU about the possibility transferring the bioforensics group into FNSSI.
“It was just a logical connection,” Spencer says.
The timing of the transition also comes at a time with a growing need for methodologies involving bioterrorism threats, chemical detection and analysis, and sample source and origin, according to Spencer.
“We have strong capabilities in chemical detection and analysis and we have developing capabilities in the biological forensics, but to have now, an expert group in bioforensics can bring their DNA capabilities to the institute … really makes for a strong program,” Langford says.
FNSSI stands to gain “state-of-the-art” DNA capabilities, along with expertise in complex worldwide-biological systems, including powerful research tools that determine the geospatial origins of biological samples, Spencer contends.
The samples include heroin, cocaine, and other plant-based materials, he adds.
The three transferred employees include David Knaebel, a biological ecologist and a former professor at Clarkson University with expertise in plant and microbial DNA and genomics, according to Spencer.
“He’s coming back to academia from SRC,” he adds.
The other two employees are research scientists Molly Cadle-Davison and Michael Marciano, he adds.
The agreement calls for FNSSI to acquire nearly $1 million in biochemical-research equipment, in addition to specialized research materials, inventions, and scientific expertise, according to SU.
SRC and its for-profit manufacturing subsidiary, SRCTec, together employ more than 1,000 people at 15 locations in Colorado, Maine, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com