SAS, NC State Launch AI Research Partnership for Drug Discovery
Cary, N.C. – October 01, 2026 -- SAS and North Carolina State University have launched the SAS Think & Do Tank, a two-year pilot research partnership applying data and AI to human health, nutrition and environmental resilience challenges, 50 years after SAS originated from an NC State agricultural research project.
Partnership targets faster drug discovery through translational predictive biology
One of the initiative's first research efforts focuses on translational predictive biology, combining studies in living systems with advanced lab models such as organoids and organ-on-chip technologies that mimic human organ function. NC State researchers aim to build predictive models that help identify promising treatments earlier, explain why interventions succeed or fail, and cut the time and cost of moving new therapies toward clinical use.