What ImQuest BioSciences does

ImQuest BioSciences is a preclinical contract research organization (CRO) founded in 2004 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, providing laboratory research services to pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms (including virtual and start-up companies), academic investigators, and federal laboratories. The company specializes in infectious disease and oncology preclinical research, with capabilities spanning virology (HIV, HBV, HCV, HDV, respiratory viruses, coronaviruses, herpesviruses, Zika/Dengue, enteric viruses), microbiology (ESKAPE pathogens, drug-resistant bacteria, antifungal testing, biofilm and murine infection models), in vitro toxicology (primary cell toxicity panels, mitochondrial toxicity), immunology (multiparameter flow cytometry, Luminex multiplexing, ELISpot), oncology (the Onco*SENS* 120 cancer cell line platform), microbicides and STI prevention, and molecular biology services. ImQuest operates BSL-2 and BSL-3 containment facilities and provides high-titer virus and bacterial stock production with international shipping certification for Category A and B infectious substances.

The business operates on a fee-for-service model with custom project-based pricing, accessed via direct sales engagement, technical consultation with scientific directors, and a website-based quote request system. Revenue is generated through laboratory testing, custom assay development, virus and bacterial stock production, resistance selection and characterization, and IND-directed preclinical development support for small molecules, natural products, biologics, therapeutic antibodies, and vaccines. The company has secured over $45 million in cumulative NIH funding on behalf of client programs and has supported successful FDA IND and 510K device submissions. ImQuest maintains active scientific visibility through conference participation (International HBV Meeting, ICAR) and collaborations reflected in peer-reviewed publications across npj Vaccines, ACS Infectious Disease, PLOS Pathogens, Hepatology, and Nature Chemical Biology, among others. The firm is founder-led, with Dr. Robert Buckheit Jr. serving as CEO and CSO since 2004, and Robert 'Bobby' Buckheit III leading Sales & Business Development and Immunology/Flow Cytometry services.

Name

ImQuest BioSciences

Legal name

ImQuest BioSciences Inc.

Website

https://imquestbio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ImQuest BioSciences is a preclinical contract research organization (CRO) founded in 2004 in Frederick, Maryland, providing infectious disease, microbiology, oncology, immunology, and toxicology laboratory services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic, and federal clients using BSL-2/BSL-3 facilities and proprietary assay platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Preclinical Contract Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Medical Laboratories (621511), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Immunotoxicology & Immunogenicity Assessment (HLAGAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cell-Based & Potency Assays (Bioassays) (HLAGADAH), Specialty & Biomarker Laboratory Services (Immunoassays/Flow/Cytometry) (HLAGAEAB), Bioanalytical Testing (PK/ADA/NAb) (HLAGADAA)

Keywords

• Preclinical contract research
• Antiviral drug development
• Infectious disease testing
• Microbiology services
• Cancer screening assays

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contract Research Services: ImQuest provides preclinical contract research services on a fee-for-service basis. Clients pay for specific laboratory testing, assay development, virus stock production, and other research services. Services range from initial compound screening through IND-directed preclinical development support. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ImQuest BioSciences is a preclinical and infectious disease contract research organization (CRO) that provides fee-for-service laboratory testing and R&D support to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic, and government clients. Its core offerings span virology (HIV, HBV, HCV, HDV, respiratory, coronavirus, herpes, Zika/dengue, enteric viruses), microbiology (antibacterial and antifungal testing with in vitro and in vivo models), in vitro toxicology, immunology, molecular biology, microbicides/STI prevention, and oncology screening. Services support compound evaluation from initial screening through IND-directed preclinical development, including virus and bacterial stock production, custom assay development, and FDA submission support.

Product overview

ImQuest BioSciences is a preclinical and infectious disease Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing expert laboratory services to evaluate novel pharmaceutical products for the treatment and prevention of viruses, bacteria, cancer, and inflammatory diseases. The company operates as a single unified service platform with specialized service lines including Virology Services (HIV, HBV, HCV, HDV, respiratory viruses, coronaviruses, herpesviruses, Zika/Dengue, enteric viruses), Microbiology Services (antibacterial and antifungal testing with in vitro and in vivo models), In Vitro Toxicology Services (primary cell toxicity panels and mitochondrial toxicity assays), Immunology Services (flow cytometry, Luminex cytokine evaluation, ELISpot), Oncology Services (Onco*SENS* platform with 120 cancer cell lines), Microbicides and STI Prevention Services, Molecular Biology Services (nucleic acid, sequencing, cloning, protein analysis), and R&D Support Services. Additional offerings include Virus and Bacterial Stock Production Services, Virus Panels, Bacterial and Fungal Panels, and specialized preclinical models including Neutropenic Thigh, Sepsis, and Galleria Mellonella larval models. Services support evaluation of small molecules, natural products, biologics, therapeutic antibodies, and vaccines from discovery through IND-directed preclinical development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Onco*SENS* Cancer Screening Platform Cell-based anti-cancer screening service using 120 cancer cell lines to evaluate small molecules and biologics, with anti-proliferative and clonogenic assays to differentiate cytotoxic from cytostatic modes of action. Used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients developing oncology products.
• Virology Services Comprehensive antiviral drug testing services for DNA and RNA viruses including HIV, HBV, HCV, HDV, respiratory viruses, coronaviruses, herpesviruses, Zika/Dengue, and enteric viruses. Supports discovery through IND-directed preclinical development for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.
• Microbiology Services Antibacterial and antifungal testing combining in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo animal model efficacy, toxicity, and mechanism-of-action evaluations for ESKAPE pathogens, clinical strains, and drug-resistant organisms.
• In Vitro Toxicology Services Primary cell-based in vitro toxicity assays including Cytotoxicity and Mechanism panels, and Mitochondrial Toxicity and Function assays to evaluate off-target effects of pharmaceutical products on liver, cardiac, and kidney tissues.
• Immunology Services Assessment of products modulating immune response, including multiparameter flow cytometry, ELISpot/FluoroSpot analysis, Luminex cytokine evaluation, and primary immune cell assays for T, B, and NK cell functions.
• Microbicides and STI Prevention Services Topical microbicide development and STI prevention research assessing activity, mechanism of action, and toxicity against HIV, HSV, HPV, hepatitis viruses, and other STI-relevant organisms.
• Molecular Biology Services Full-service molecular biology support including nucleic acid services, sequencing, molecular cloning, protein analysis, cell-based molecular assays, CRISPR/siRNA/shRNA gene silencing, and lentiviral vector services.
• R&D Support Services Outsourced research and development support including customized assay design, tissue culture services, ELISA development, flow cytometry, and biochemical and enzymology laboratory services for drug development.
• Virus Stock Production Services Production of high-titer and highly infectious virus stocks for laboratory and clinical strains at scales from milliliters to liters, with concentration, characterization, and Certificate of Analysis.
• Bacterial Stock Production Services Propagation, concentration, and characterization of bacteria at scales from milliliters to liters, including preparation of crude, lysed, or frozen bacterial pellets with Certificate of Analysis.
• Virus Panels Comprehensive DNA and RNA virus panels including HIV/retroviruses, hepatitis viruses, mosquito-borne viruses, respiratory viruses, herpesviruses, and enteric viruses for antiviral testing.
• Bacterial and Fungal Panels Microbe panels including ESKAPE pathogens, anaerobic organisms, fungal pathogens, tuberculosis, biofilm-forming pathogens, sexually transmitted disease pathogens, and phenotypic/genetically defined drug-resistant panels.
• HIV and Retrovirus Services Comprehensive anti-HIV drug development services including antiviral activity quantification, mechanism of action evaluation, drug-resistant virus selection and characterization, and NNRTI TACK killing assays.
• HBV Antiviral Testing Services Multi-parameter microtiter assay for HBV antiviral testing using cell lines and primary human hepatocytes, with endpoints for extracellular/intracellular HBV DNA, cccDNA, pre-genomic RNA, and viral antigens.
• HCV Antiviral Testing Services Hepatitis C virus antiviral testing using replicon-based evaluations, genotype 1 replicon models, combination antiviral activity analysis, and resistance selection with whole genome sequencing.
• HDV Antiviral Services Hepatitis Delta Virus stock production and antiviral screening using Huh-END7 cell lines and primary human hepatocytes, with qPCR and immunofluorescent detection endpoints.
• Coronavirus Testing Services BSL-2 and BSL-3 coronavirus testing capabilities across multiple strains, with range of action assessments, combination analysis, and resistance characterization.
• Respiratory Virus Services Screening services for influenza, parainfluenza, RSV, human rhinovirus, measles, metapneumovirus, and adenovirus with various assay endpoints including CPE, plaque, and qPCR.
• Herpesvirus Antiviral Services Primary screening and secondary assays for HSV-1, HSV-2, CMV, and VZV using plate-based and plaque reduction assays with crystal violet, immunofluorescent staining, or qPCR endpoints.
• Zika, Dengue and Emerging Virus Services Antiviral drug testing for mosquito-borne viruses including Zika, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile, and yellow fever virus with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models.
• Biofilm Testing Services In vitro biofilm testing for gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial organisms and fungal organisms to study biofilm establishment, growth, and dispersal.
• Neutropenic Thigh Murine Model In vivo efficacy model for quantitative evaluation of antibacterial and antifungal agents using different dosing regimens against wild-type and resistant bacterial strains.
• Sepsis Murine Model Mouse peritonitis-sepsis model of infection for testing antimicrobial agents with bacterial counts or survival endpoints.
• Galleria Mellonella Larval Model In vivo model for rapid and cost-effective assessment of antimicrobial agents using Galleria mellonella larvae prior to transitioning to murine models.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully submitted multiple Investigational New Drug Applications and 510K Device applications to the FDA
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hepatitis B FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImQuest participates in the annual International HBV Meeting sponsored by the Hepatitis B Foundation, focusing on molecular biology of HBV and development of novel treatment strategies to achieve functional cure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SRI International (Biosciences): SRI Biosciences conducts preclinical virology, infectious disease, and immunology research for government and commercial clients. Comparable specialty focus and BSL infrastructure, serving a similar mix of NIH-funded and biotech clients.
• Southern Research: Non-profit preclinical CRO with parallel infectious disease and oncology drug discovery programs. Operates BSL-2/BSL-3 facilities and offers virology, microbiology, and in vivo efficacy models, overlapping directly with ImQuest's core preclinical service lines.
• BioIVT: Supplier of specialty biospecimens and provider of cell-based and molecular assay services to pharma and biotech. Comparable client mix and cell-based assay orientation to ImQuest's preclinical work.
• Viracor Eurofins: Specialty infectious disease and immunology laboratory serving pharmaceutical and clinical trial clients. Comparable virology and immune-monitoring capabilities, though more oriented toward clinical sample testing than preclinical drug development.
• Inotiv: Preclinical CRO with infectious disease models, toxicology, and in vivo efficacy capabilities serving pharma and biotech clients. Direct overlap with ImQuest's virology, microbiology, and preclinical development service lines.
• BioReliance (MilliporeSigma): Specialty biosafety testing and contract research services for biopharma, with virology and microbiology capabilities. Overlaps with ImQuest's viral clearance, virus stock, and microbial testing services, though typically operating at larger scale and integrated into a broader portfolio.
• IIT Research Institute (IITRI): Independent non-profit preclinical CRO providing toxicology, pharmacology, and infectious disease research services. Comparable in scale and niche orientation to ImQuest, with overlapping antiviral and antibacterial preclinical offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Charles River Laboratories: Large publicly traded preclinical CRO offering virology, microbiology, toxicology, and oncology services at global scale. Represents the enterprise incumbent against which ImQuest competes on specialty infectious disease and oncology niches.
• Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance): Global CRO with comprehensive preclinical and clinical service offerings, including virology and infectious disease capabilities. Sets the enterprise procurement benchmark that smaller specialty CROs like ImQuest are measured against.

Regional players

• PharmaLegacy Laboratories: Preclinical CRO based in China offering in vivo pharmacology, toxicology, and infectious disease models to global pharma clients. Comparable preclinical service scope to ImQuest, primarily competing on the basis of regional cost and capacity rather than direct US-market overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imquest_bio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imquest-biosciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ImQuest BioSciences