Industry Insights with Henry Zhu: 20 Years of Innovation at BPS Bioscience

The company was founded in 2005, therefore this year is our 20^th birthday! We initially provided specific solutions in the production of recombinant, active enzymes for drug discovery projects. Our first recombinant enzyme was sphingosine kinase. When I founded the company, I determined that the enzyme did not exist commercially at a  time when many  pharmaceutical companies were trying to develop candidate drugs.  I saw a gap in the market and went from there.

Since then, the team has grown and we’re now about 90 strong. We have moved location several times as the company grew, the last time in 2020 when we moved to a much larger building at our current address [in San Diego]. In 20 years, our catalog has increased to approximately 4000 off the shelf products and tools, which now include cell lines, viral tools such as lentivirus and adeno associated virus for gene therapy. We also offer over 600 assay kits as well as screening and profiling services to test drug candidates in biochemical or cell-based assays.

Our expansion has been driven by the evolving needs of the drug discovery industry and by our strong commitment to innovation. Over time we recognized that scientists needed more advanced tools to evaluate drug candidates, and we developed a range of reporter cell lines to study compounds within cellular environments.

With the immunotherapy breakthrough in oncology, we adapted again by introducing a comprehensive portfolio of essential reagents for immunotherapy research. Today, our  CAR-T, CAR-NK, and TCR-T tools support the development of next-generation therapies.

Of course, expanding into new technologies is not without challenges. It has required significant investment, the recruitment of highly skilled scientists, and the implementation of stringent quality control measures. These efforts have been instrumental in establishing BPS Bioscience as a leading service provider, ensuring we continue to meet the needs of researchers worldwide.

The pandemic was a defining moment for us. There was an urgent need for effective treatments and diagnostic tests and it compelled us to adapt rapidly to support global research efforts. We  quickly developed a suite of SARS-CoV-2-related products, including proteins, assay kits and cell lines, and pseudovirus systems to advance drug discovery. We launched over 250 covid-related products in just two years! We helped diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies who were working on tests or on therapeutics faster than they would have otherwise been able to.

This experience highlighted the critical importance of agility and responsiveness in addressing global health challenges. Beyond COVID-19, we also strengthened our advancements in immunotherapy research, which remains a key area of growth for our company.

We take pride in being “scientist driven; scientist founded” and most of our staff are scientists. BPS Bioscience encourages creativity, teamwork, constant learning, and excellence. Not only do we release off-the-shelf products that can be used immediately, but we also offer screening and profiling services for biotech companies that may not have a full research laboratory available to them, extending their capabilities.

We also provide a lot of customization and take pride in our customer service. In many situations we act as a boutique CRO, providing tailored solutions to scientists who are working on niche projects and are not finding the tools they need.

As CEO of the company, I quickly realized that building a successful business requires not only the know-how, but also a strong team with the right people, strong customer relationships, and effective marketing. I really think that scientific innovation alone isn’t enough. The company’s success can be explained by a vision, teamwork, financial management, understanding of customer needs, and a strong sales and marketing team, which all contributed to growing the company and making a lasting impact.

The availability of reliable kits or cell lines provided with validated protocols is critical to accelerate scientific discovery. Such resources allow researchers to evaluate hypotheses or therapeutic candidates without having to establish extensive laboratory infrastructure or acquire specialized expertise. By eliminating extensive optimization, these tools save valuable time. Researchers frequently purchase cell lines or assay kits from providers like us due to limited instrument access, gaps in specific methodological experience, or the necessity of obtaining results through multiple approaches within tight timelines.

I think our scientific expertise has really been key to our success. More than 40% of my team holds a PhD. That means we truly understand the scientific context behind the workflows our customers are working with. We’re able to focus on what matters at the bench and design tools that are directly relevant to their research needs.

It also builds trust since our customers know they’re talking to scientists like themselves. We make it a priority to ensure that our customers can connect directly with our scientists, so we fully understand what they’re trying to achieve. And because we speak the same language, we can work closely with them to tailor our tools and services to meet specific scientific goals.

Customization is essential in scientific research, particularly in drug discovery, due to the shift from broad, general methods to specialized workflows that address distinct biological questions. Modern science emphasizes precision, and uses assays tailored to specific molecular targets or biological pathways.

Technologies such as CRISPR and synthetic biology enable the design of customized biological models and empower researchers to formulate more precise questions, generate highly relevant results, and accelerate progress by avoiding unnecessary complexity or irrelevant data.

This customized strategy is particularly valuable in early-stage drug discovery, translational research, and personalized medicine, where experimental models must closely mimic biological realities to yield meaningful insights.

At BPS, we prioritize customer-specific needs, ensuring we provide optimized solutions tailored to each research scenario. Not every off-the-shelf product corresponds exactly to what the user needs, and whenever possible we’ll adapt the tool to the need.

I like having to stay current with what is happening in technology and in therapeutics. And our breadth of offerings means that our scientists are constantly learning about something new. Working here encourages curiosity; it is also fast paced, with plenty of technical challenges to overcome. In the end, we are proud of being part of an industry that culminates in bringing new therapies to patients who need them. By providing tools, we accelerate the pace of research in drug development and facilitate the work of scientists who can then focus on tackling the most important issues.

BPS Bioscience has evolved tremendously in 20 years. We will continue to develop tools for immunotherapy, gene editing, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, and neurological diseases. These areas hold immense potential, and we are well-positioned to create next-generation assays and engineered cell lines that accelerate research.

We intend to keep on listening to our customers to understand what they need, finding new ways to support them. Our goal remains the same: to empower scientists with the best reagents and tools to advance life-saving therapies.