Imanis Life Sciences

Imanis Life Sciences is a specialized contract research organization (CRO) and product provider founded in 2015 and headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota. The company operates at the intersection of virology, cell engineering, and immuno-oncology, offering custom services and products to accelerate therapeutic development for biopharma clients. Its core capabilities include generating engineered cell lines (e.g., luciferase, iRFP, GFP), developing lentiviral and AAV vectors, and providing assay development and preclinical study services for oncolytic viruses, cell/gene therapies, and vaccines. While it has commercialized diagnostic tests for COVID-19, its primary business model is service- and product-based support for the research and development pipeline of other companies.

Platform for custom engineering of viral vectors (lentivirus, AAV) and cell lines with reporter genes (e.g., luciferase, iRFP, GFP, NIS) for non-invasive in vivo imaging and preclinical research. Expertise in virology, immunology, and assay development supports therapy development for oncolytic viruses, gene/cell therapies, and vaccines.

Imanis competes with large, full-service preclinical CROs (Charles River, Labcorp) and numerous niche players specializing in virology, imaging, or cell engineering. Its differentiation lies in the integrated combination of virology expertise, custom cell engineering, and specific imaging technologies like the NIS reporter system.