December 01, 2025
We all understand the critical role biomedical research plays in human advancement and improving human health. It drives innovation by creating and perfecting medical technologies like wearable monitors; it also improves diagnostic techniques to more precisely identify abnormalities in patients. Most importantly, it leads to the development of new and effective treatments for many of the world’s deadliest diseases and conditions that impact our quality of life. It’s important to recognize that these successes don’t occur in isolation. Care, teamwork, and trust make every experiment and stage of development possible.
For labs tackling major scientific questions, preclinical studies are, at their core, a team effort. Every staff member and outside partner plays a vital role in moving the mission forward. At SoBran, we do our part as a trusted outsourcing partner by providing animal care, management, sanitation, quality assurance, and other essential services. We know the scientists are the heavy hitters behind many of these medical breakthroughs, but we like to think of SoBran as the seasoned pinch hitter, stepping in when precision, speed, and experience are needed to keep projects on track and ensure that animal welfare and data quality remain top priorities. We may not always be in the starting lineup, but we’re an essential part of the team’s success.
For over 25 years, SoBran has committed to one guiding principle: do everything we can to support institutional research teams in achieving their goals, no matter what they are. Rather than expecting scientists to balance animal care with their research responsibilities, we aim to be true teammates, offering 24/7 support in SOP development, regulatory compliance, facility logistics, and animal care.
Our experience speaks for itself, delivering productivity gains that are both immediate and measurable. Reflecting on a demanding research effort, one client shared: “SoBran assisted us in the conduction of a very complex pharmacology study. The team produced very high-quality work, within budget, and completed it on time.”
On-budget. On-time. These aren’t just luxuries; they are the foundation of productivity in research.
Where Productivity Actually Lives: Working Together
Research productivity isn’t about working faster. It’s about eliminating the friction that slows everything down. We can’t expect every team member to oversee every aspect of a project. That’s where a trusted outsourcing partner comes in, and SoBran has been that partner for decades.
- Finely Tuned Observation Prevents Study Derailment. Experienced technicians catch early signs of animal health or behavioral changes that less experienced personnel may overlook. What does this mean in practice? Studies continue without disruption, even if a subject begins to display signs of a possible unknown illness or condition. Our technicians are highly skilled and can determine whether the issue needs to be addressed within the study or is unrelated.
- Comprehensive Health Protocols Protect Research Integrity. Health surveillance, quarantine protocols, environmental enrichment, and biosecurity measures are all essential parts of the process. With dedicated professionals managing these programs, the risk of contamination or compromised data is drastically reduced, ensuring studies stay productive and on track.
- Regulatory Expertise Accelerates Decision Points. When you’re managing multiple AAALAC International-accredited sites while maintaining GLP standards and ISO 9001:2015 certification, you’re doing more than checking compliance boxes. You’re building a framework that enables research teams to reach critical decision points faster and with absolute confidence in their data.
Dr. Greg Kelly, SoBran’s senior vice president, explains the goals of these outsourcing units directly: “Combining animal care best practices with experienced and dedicated project management allows our pre-clinical research clients to focus on their mission with the assurance that they will reach critical decision points quickly and with absolute confidence in the data.”
Building and maintaining vivarium infrastructure in-house requires capital investment, specialized staffing, regulatory approvals, and ongoing operational oversight. This preparation can take 12 to 18 months before your first study begins and requires continuous management thereafter.
Outsourcing eliminates many of these challenges by providing existing infrastructure, trained personnel, proven regulatory relationships, and operational systems refined through extensive work with federal agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. You gain immediate access to sophisticated capabilities that would take years to develop internally.
The cost savings from economies of scale are significant, allowing research programs to launch years ahead of schedule.
Beyond Efficiency: The Strategic Asset Perspective
The most productive research organizations understand SoBran’s mission: preclinical care and management isn’t a burden to minimize, but a strategic asset to optimize.
Our greatest successes come from partners who understand that our work is a consultative partnership, not a transactional service to be set and forgotten. For over two decades, SoBran’s clients have consistently reported the same outcomes: timely completion, quality results, and regulatory compliance that opens doors rather than creating delays. We call them the tangible markers of research productivity:
- Federal programs achieving full AAALAC accreditation on the first attempt
- Complex studies are completed on-time and within budget despite their difficulty
- Research teams scaling preclinical support without sacrificing quality or ethical standards
- Scientists reclaiming the hours they were losing to operational management
The Bottom Line
The question isn’t whether your team can manage animal care operations internally. With enough time and resources, most can. The question is whether that’s the best use of your research team’s talent.
Outsourced animal care—when done right, with partners who deliver operational excellence and unwavering commitment to both animal welfare and research integrity—isn’t about doing less. It’s about enabling your team to focus on what matters most.
For research organizations aiming to accelerate discovery and innovation that improves human and animal health: free your scientists to focus on science, and partner with specialists like us who have spent 25 years perfecting everything else.