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.
Small biological datasets pose a distinct AI modeling challenge
Researchers can gather extensive detail across cells, tissues and molecular pathways but from relatively few biological subjects, a condition where conventional AI models often identify patterns that fail to hold across studies or translate between biological systems. The team will pursue statistical and AI approaches built to account for biological relationships, quantify uncertainty, and improve interpretability of model conclusions.
SAS provides software and responsible AI oversight across research working groups
SAS will act as technical partner, supplying data and AI software, analytics expertise, and responsible AI guidance throughout the collaboration based in NC State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Faculty and students will get direct experience applying advanced analytics to active research while embedding ethical data practices and transparency into the work.
Pilot structure designed to scale beyond initial two-year term
The Think & Do Tank is built as a scalable two-year pilot intended to establish a governance and research collaboration model that could later extend to additional disciplines and institutions. SAS CEO Jim Goodnight said the next generation of innovators will need the judgment to use powerful technology responsibly, while NC State Chancellor Kevin Howell said the partnership extends a relationship that has shaped discovery in North Carolina for decades.
Over time, the collaboration could also produce AI-ready research datasets enabling scientists to compare findings across studies, identify new patterns and generate new hypotheses.