Turner Scientific

What Turner Scientific does

Turner Scientific, LLC is a privately held contract research organization founded in 2017 and headquartered in Jacksonville, Illinois, operating from a 60,000 sq ft research campus on a 9-acre site. The company specializes in pre-clinical auditory research and ototoxicity testing for biotech, pharmaceutical, CRO, and academic clients, offering a comprehensive service portfolio that includes behavioral hearing testing (using a gap-PPI method co-invented by CEO Jeremy Turner), audiometric testing (ABR/DPOAE), cytocochleograms, cochlear explant and implant studies, otic histopathology, drug pharmacokinetics, and GLP-compliant studies. It also operates the industry's only facility dedicated to auditory research in minipigs, providing a differentiated large-animal model for sponsors.

The company's second business line is the Sensory Sentinel, a patented (US Patent No 12,317,865) environmental monitoring hardware-and-software platform that continuously measures noise, ultrasonic noise, vibration, temperature, humidity, light, and human staff activity in vivarium rooms and home cages to improve research reproducibility and animal welfare. The platform is sold or leased with optional Armor Protection maintenance plans and is distributed in the US via Braintree Scientific and in the UK via Process Control Solutions Europe. Turner Scientific also licenses FluidSim, a computational program developed by Director of Cochlear Pharmacokinetics Alec Salt, Ph.D., for simulating drug distribution in the inner ear. The company runs a Sensory Sentinel Grant program awarding monitoring equipment to academic researchers and maintains a GetReal! podcast on biomedical research topics.

Turner Scientific generates revenue through professional services fees for CRO study work, hardware sales and leases of Sensory Sentinel devices (with recurring maintenance plan revenue), and software licensing for FluidSim. Go-to-market is sales-led, supported by conference participation (AALAS, CALAS, LAMA, SONA), an educational content library, peer-reviewed publications, and a growing distributor network. The leadership team combines founders Jeremy Turner (CEO) and Annette Turner (President) with senior scientific and operational leadership including CSO Amanda Henton, COO-Monitoring Cindy Buckmaster, VP Jeff Lichtenhan, and Director of Cochlear Pharmacokinetics Alec Salt. No external funding rounds or institutional investors have been disclosed, suggesting organic, founder-controlled growth.

Name

Turner Scientific

Legal name

Turner Scientific, LLC

Website

https://turnerscientific.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Turner Scientific is a Jacksonville, IL-based preclinical CRO specializing in auditory research and ototoxicity testing for biotech, pharma, CROs, and academia, and also sells the patented Sensory Sentinel environmental monitoring system for vivarium facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pre-Clinical Contract Research Organization (Hearing Research and Ototoxicity)

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonclinical Study Management & Regulatory Writing (IND-enabling) (HLAGAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Otology & Neurotology (Ear/Hearing/Balance) (HLAKAMAC)

Keywords

• Preclinical CRO services
• Hearing research services
• Ototoxicity testing
• Vivarium environmental monitoring
• Auditory drug development

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pre-Clinical Research CRO Services: Turner Scientific functions as the contract research and development team for biotech and pharma companies, providing auditory and ototoxicity testing services including behavioral testing, audiometric testing, cytocochleograms, cochlear explant studies, otic histopathology, ototoxicity assessment, drug pharmacokinetics, and GLP-compliant studies. Revenue is generated through study fees charged to sponsors for research conducted under contractual agreements.
2. Sensory Sentinel Environmental Monitoring Equipment: Turner Scientific sells and leases the Sensory Sentinel environmental monitoring device to research laboratories, animal facilities, biotech companies, and academic institutions. The product is available for purchase or lease with optional Armor Protection maintenance plans.
3. FluidSim Software Licensing: The FluidSim program is offered as a computer simulation tool for inner ear drug distribution, licensed to drug developers and researchers working with Turner Scientific to predict cochlear distribution of drug formulations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Turner Scientific is a contract research organization specializing in pre-clinical auditory and ototoxicity research, selling two integrated lines: (1) the Sensory Sentinel environmental monitoring device (patented under US Patent No 12,317,865) that continuously measures noise, vibration, temperature, humidity, light, and human activity in vivarium rooms and home cages, and (2) a full suite of pre-clinical hearing research services including behavioral testing, audiometric testing, cytocochleograms, cochlear explant and implant studies, otic histopathology, ototoxicity assessment, drug pharmacokinetics, and GLP-compliant studies. The company also offers the FluidSim software for modeling inner ear drug distribution.

Product overview

Turner Scientific offers two main product/service lines: (1) The Sensory Sentinel environmental monitoring system - a patented (US Patent No 12,317,865) hardware and software platform that continuously monitors noise, vibration, temperature, humidity, light, and human activity in vivarium environments to improve animal welfare and research reproducibility; and (2) Pre-Clinical Research Services including behavioral testing, audiometric testing (ABR/DPOAE), cytocochleograms, cochlear explant studies, cochlear implant studies, otic histopathology, ototoxicity testing, drug pharmacokinetics, and GLP-compliant studies. The company also provides the FluidSim software for cochlear drug distribution simulation and operates a Sensory Sentinel Grant program. Services support biotech, pharma, CROs, and academia in hearing research and drug development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sensory Sentinel: Patented environmental monitoring system for vivarium and laboratory animal facilities that measures noise, ultrasonic noise, vibration, temperature, humidity, light, and human activity. Introduced in October 2020.

Products and services

• Sensory Sentinel Environmental Monitoring Device Patented (US Patent No 12,317,865) environmental monitoring device for vivarium and laboratory animal research facilities that continuously tracks noise, ultrasonic noise, vibration, temperature, humidity, light, and human staff activity to improve research reproducibility and animal welfare. Available for purchase or lease to research laboratories, animal facilities, biotech companies, and academic institutions, with optional Armor Protection maintenance plans.
• Pre-Clinical Auditory Research CRO Services Contract research organization services spanning the full pre-clinical auditory research workflow, including behavioral testing, audiometric testing, cytocochleograms, cochlear explant studies, cochlear implant studies, otic histopathology, ototoxicity testing, drug pharmacokinetics, and GLP-compliant studies. Services are sold on a study-fee basis to biotech and pharma sponsors.
• FluidSim Inner Ear Drug Distribution Simulation Software Computer simulation program developed by Dr. Alec Salt that models drug distribution in the inner ear, used to design and interpret inner ear drug delivery experiments in animals and predict drug distribution in the human ear. Licensed to drug developers and researchers.
• Behavioral Testing for Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Gold-standard automated reflex-based behavioral testing for assessment of hearing loss and tinnitus using startle reflex analysis, including gap detection protocols for tinnitus measurement. Available to biotech and pharma sponsors.
• Audiometric Testing (ABR and DPOAE) Hearing assessment services including auditory brainstem response (ABR) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) measurements for evaluating hearing loss in pre-clinical models.
• Cytocochleogram Analysis Immunohistochemistry-based quantitative assessment of hair cells and ribbon synapses in the cochlea, used to evaluate damage from noise, chemicals, or drug exposure.
• Cochlear Explant Studies Ex vivo cochlear tissue culture studies for cost-effective, high-throughput screening of drugs for otic applications using early post-natal mouse cochlear tissue.
• Cochlear Implant Studies Specialty expertise in delivering drugs and devices to the cochlea and middle ear structures in both rodent models and large animal mini-pig models.
• Otic Histopathology Microscopic histopathologic examination of otic structures including tympanic membrane, middle ear, and inner ear for disease manifestations and drug toxicity assessment, delivered in partnership with Greenfield Pathology Services.
• Ototoxicity Testing Pre-clinical ototoxicity contract research services evaluating drug effects on hearing and balance, acting as a sentinel for general drug toxicity screening to support FDA submissions.
• Drug Pharmacokinetics Studies Pharmacokinetic studies for systemically and locally applied drugs, including perilymph sampling, concentration-time course analysis, and drug gradient measurements along the cochlea.
• GLP-Compliant Studies GLP-compliant hearing research services delivered through partnerships with leading preclinical GLP laboratories, including hearing testing portions conducted by Turner Scientific staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• Environmental variables such as noise, vibration, temperature, humidity, and light can significantly compromise animal welfare and research data reproducibility when exceeding safe thresholds
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Process Control Solutions Europe (PCS Europe)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPCS Europe, led by Patrick Johnson, serves as Turner Scientific Monitoring's exclusive regional partner for the UK market. Patrick brings eight years of experience in the UK and European laboratory animal science industry, specializing in introducing capital equipment to the market and helping facilities adopt new technologies with confidence. He supports laboratories with a practical approach to monitoring and compliance.
• Braintree Scientific Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBraintree Scientific Inc. serves as a US-based distributor for Turner Scientific's Sensory Sentinel monitoring products. Located in Braintree, MA, they provide sales and support for Turner Scientific Monitoring products in their territory.
• Sinclair ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurner Scientific partners with Sinclair Research for miniature swine animal models used in auditory research studies. This partnership enables Turner Scientific to offer the industry's only facility dedicated to auditory research in minipigs, providing sponsors with a novel large animal model for drug development and ototoxicity testing. Other species are also available through partner institutions.
• Greenfield Pathology Services (GPS)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTurner Scientific partners with Greenfield Pathology Services for histopathologic examination of otic structures. GPS experienced veterinary histopathologists assess slides prepared by Turner Scientific for inner, middle, and external ear evaluation in support of GLP and non-GLP toxicology studies.
• Dr. Brandon CoxsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Brandon Cox has been performing cytocochleogram and ribbon synapse analyses for over ten years and serves as a long-time consultant for Turner Scientific. He works directly with Turner Scientific staff to train them on whole mount microdissections and immunohistochemistry methods for hair cell and ribbon synapse analysis.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Charles River Laboratories: Large preclinical CRO offering ototoxicity and general toxicology services as part of a broad safety assessment portfolio. Highly comparable as a competing generalist CRO that can absorb hearing/ototoxicity work, but with significantly broader service breadth than Turner.
• Labcorp Drug Development (Covance): Global CRO with extensive preclinical safety, ototoxicity, and regulatory capabilities serving pharma and biotech. Comparable to Turner on the preclinical CRO side, but operates at much larger scale and across many therapeutic areas.
• ICON plc: Global CRO with preclinical and clinical services including safety pharmacology and ototoxicity offerings. Overlaps with Turner on outsourced preclinical research for hearing therapeutics sponsors but with broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Inotiv: Preclinical CRO and research models provider with toxicology, pathology, and animal model services comparable to Turner's ototoxicity, histopathology, and cochlear study work. Directly competes for outsourced preclinical hearing and safety assessment engagements.
• PsychoGenics: Preclinical CRO specializing in behavioral and neuroscience phenotyping in animal models. Directly comparable to Turner's behavioral hearing and tinnitus testing capabilities for biotech and pharma sponsors.
• Data Sciences International (DSI): Provider of preclinical physiological monitoring implants and telemetry for animal research. Comparable to Turner on the vivarium monitoring hardware side and serves overlapping preclinical research customers.
• Columbus Instruments: Manufacturer of vivarium and laboratory animal monitoring equipment including environmental and activity sensors. Comparable as a competing supplier of continuous vivarium monitoring hardware used in animal research facilities.

Emerging players

• TSE Systems: Supplier of behavioral and metabolic phenotyping systems for laboratory animals, including auditory testing modules. Comparable niche in hearing and behavioral assessment for academic and commercial vivariums.

Others

• Otonomy: Clinical-stage biotech developing otic therapeutics for hearing loss and tinnitus. Adjacent to Turner as a potential sponsor customer for preclinical ototoxicity and cochlear PK studies rather than a direct competitor.
• Frequency Therapeutics: Biotech developing regenerative therapies for hearing loss. Adjacent to Turner as a likely sponsor for auditory preclinical CRO work rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/turner-scientific
• Xx.com/TurnerHearing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Turner Scientific