July 2023

Yesterday, MIT announced plans to design the world’s first fully integrated, continuous mRNA manufacturing platform. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research will provide $82 million in funding over three years for the effort.

According to MIT, the resulting pilot-scale system is intended to improve society’s ability to respond to future pandemics as well as accelerate the development and production of mRNA technologies. The main goal of the project is to advance the field of mRNA therapeutics by providing a continuous manufacturing template for companies to follow, while facilitating collaboration throughout the biopharmaceuticals industry.

Congratulations to Alamak Biosciences, which will expand from 100 Cummings Center to a newly constructed lab and office suite at the Emerging Tech Center at Dunham Ridge in Beverly. Led by CEO Mendy Chan, Alamak is a precision histology company with a unique technology and process that provides the highest quality formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples for tissue-based biomarker assays. The company will occupy more than 2,200 square feet in its new location.

Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI) graduate company Leveragen will join the Cummings life sciences community when it moves to a 5,000-square-foot lab and office space at 2 Gill Street in Woburn. Congratulations to founder and CEO Weisheng Chen and team on this milestone.

Please join North Shore Technology Council at 100 Cummings Center on Thursday, July 20 at 5:00 PM for a panel discussion followed by networking at an outdoor beer garden. Cummings' chief design office Jim Trudeau along with RAN Biotechnologies founder and CEO Roger Nassar, Ph.D., and InnoVenture Labs' president and CEO Chris Ilsley will share their perspectives on expanding out of an incubator. Moderated by Robin Dorogusker of Venture Forward Lab Partners, the conversation will be followed by networking, food, and craft beers. InnoVenture Labs will also offer tours of its incubator space. Register.

Boston Business Journal will host "Biotech in Boston," a dynamic program featuring talks with industry leaders and change makers about this key sector of the Massachusetts economy. Discussions will explore three tracks: how AI is influencing drug development, digital innovation, and building a biomanufacturing sector in the Commonwealth. Tuesday, July 25, 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Boston Park Plaza. $160/ticket. Register.

Tickets for the 16th annual MALSI Day are on sale now. Presented by Innovation Studio (a $625,500 Cummings Foundation grant winner) in partnership with MassVentures, the event is a high-energy, hands-on, global event that brings together scientific leaders and business experts to mingle with scientists, post-docs, professors, entrepreneurs, innovators, and venture capitalists.

The day features panel discussions, an emerging technology poster competition, an Innovators' Marketplace, and a networking reception with leading life sciences CEOs. This year's focus is "AI in Medicine, from Discovery to Clinical Practice." Thursday, July 27, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Halloran Consulting, Boston. Register.

The application process for the 2024 Cummings $30 Million Grant Program has begun. Please share the Cummings Foundation website with local nonprofits you know that could benefit from this major funding opportunity. The Letter of Inquiry (LOI) period is open now until September 8.

C2I welcomed members and supporters for it summer mixer at its Woburn facility yesterday. C2I is an incubator and accelerator with a mission to foster the next generation of life sciences entrepreneurs by providing them a nurturing community to test their ideas and resources to support their challenges.

Cummings is pleased to offer a 1,700-square-foot newly constructed lab, with additional build-to-suit opportunities up to 20,000 SF, at the 200 Boston Avenue Emerging Tech Center in Medford. The suite offers dedicated office and lab areas with full-panel glass and wood doors, as well as access to shared conference and huddle rooms on the same floor.

Located in a vibrant life sciences cluster just off I-93 and close to Tufts University, the campus features on-site MBTA bus service and convenient access to Red and Green Line service, plus numerous amenities within walking distance, including Whole Foods and Starbucks. Contact a Cummings lab specialist at sales@cummings.com or 781-983-7039 for details.

Key features include:

• Steel lab benches with resin countertops and adjustable reagent shelves 
• Chemical fume hood with solvent and acid storage 
• Ceiling-mounted exhaust drops and electrical feeds
• Emergency shower/eyewash station
• Make-up air and exhaust systems
• Lab sinks with point-of-use acid neutralization tanks
• Vinyl composition tile floors
• Vinyl-faced ceiling tiles

Neighboring companies include:

Do you need support for your lab operations?

The Lab Hubs is a privately owned, full-service provider of laboratory management and support services for biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical facilities. Services include contract staffing and support, lab and facilities operations, and space planning.

Diego Leonardo is the company's president and co-founder.