KANNAPOLIS — R&S Chemicals, a cancer research and development company, has joined the roster of small businesses leasing ready-to-use laboratories at the N.C. Research Campus.

Srisailas Muthialu, vice president of R&S Chemicals, is leading the company’s study of two molecules that demonstrate anti-cancer activity. With additional research that will be done in collaboration with parent company Chem-Master International, Muthialu will explore the molecules and their potential application for the prevention or treatment of cancer.

“Because of the nature and the sensitivities of these molecules, I have a lot of work to do,” said Muthialu, who has more than 15 years of industry experience spanning custom synthesis, medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. “But the NCRC gives me everything I could need. As a small company, we don’t want to invest too much in our infrastructure. The ready-to-use lab is what we were looking for. I could not find anything else in this area like it.”

Muthialu opened R&S Chemicals in mid-September and is still unpacking boxes and ordering supplies for the 950-square-foot laboratory and office in the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory.

Because he lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina, he is enjoying the advantage of working closer to his family than other locations would have allowed.

His first priority is to hire employees.

“In our current space, we can only hire one or two,” he said, “but in three to five years we want to expand. Then we’ll hire more people.”

He will be joined soon by his business partner, Ramesh Gupta. Gupta has more than 35 years of industry experience with the development of medicinal compounds that are used in the treatment of allergies and chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Muthialu and Gupta will continue supporting Chem-Master as director of business development and vice president, respectively. Chem-Master International is a contract research and development company in New York that specializes in organic and medicinal chemistry. R&S will provide similar services as their parent company customizing the synthesis of organic compounds.

R&S Chemicals is the fourth small company to join the NCRC in the past year following BioArmor, Ideal Health Biotechnology and Klear Optix. The NCRC this year has also added Standard Process Center of Excellence and the Food Processing and Innovation Center, a partnership with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and N.C. State University that will help expand the food manufacturing sector in North Carolina.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Dr. Muthialu and Dr. Gupta to the NCRC. They are joining us at time of steady growth,” said Mark Spitzer, vice president of operations for Castle & Cooke North Carolina, the developer and business development arm of the NCRC. “We hope that our scientific community will prove to be a valuable resource as they launch their company and develop their promising cancer technology.”

The ready-to-use laboratories are part of the research campus’ mission to support startup to small biotechnology companies focused on research and development that impacts human health. As well as space, NCRC offers business mentorship and connections to statewide entrepreneurial resources.

The laboratories were built in 2013 and expanded in 2015. There are now only four out of 12 laboratory and office spaces available. Companies can also take advantage of the analytical laboratory services of the David H. Murdock Research Institute and UNC Charlotte’s Bioinformatics Services Division as well as opportunities to collaborate with academic and corporate research programs at the research campus.

Learn more at www.ncresearchcampus.net.