News from the life sciences and technology sectors north of Boston

July 2025

Minerva Biotechnologies will expand from Waltham to a newly renovated 13,000-SF lab facility at Cummings Park in Woburn this summer. The clinical-stage company is developing revolutionary therapeutics to treat and prevent cancers.

Founded by Cynthia Bamdad, Ph.D., CEO and CSO, Minerva is the first company to uncover the shared mechanism between cancer and early stem cell growth.

From its new location, Minerva aims to launch a platform that it believes has the potential to transform cancer treatment and reshape regenerative medicine. In a Boston Business Journal article today, Hannah Green reports the company is about nine months away from submitting an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to be able to test its new antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) in humans. Read more (subscription required).

Boston Business Journal also reports on two major milestones for green steel company Boston Metal (6 Gill Street, Woburn). The company has raised $51 million in convertible note funding from existing investors, and its first commercial plant is coming online. The company says its Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) critical metals business in Brazil is expected to begin generating revenue later this year. Read more.

Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies has established the Center for Bioinnovation, a groundbreaking initiative designed to advance the future of biopharmaceutical innovation through cutting-edge analytical characterization. The center aims to bridge the gap between academic research and the rapidly evolving biotechnology industry. 

One of the its distinguishing features is its integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into analytical workflows. The team is developing AI tools that can extract meaningful insights from high-volume, high-dimensional datasets, transforming raw analytical data into actionable intelligence for drug development and manufacturing. Learn more.

SES AI (35 Cabot Road, Woburn), a global leader in the development and manufacturing of AI-enhanced high-performance Li-Metal and Li-ion batteries, has released a new version of Molecular Universe, an advanced toolkit to map the realm of possible small molecules relevant to all battery chemistries, including Li-Metal, Li-ion, and sodium. The intent of this new map is to help battery researchers and accelerate the discovery of new materials for their next big ideas.

MU-0.5 includes a new feature – Deep Space – to accelerate commercial product development and enhance SES AI’s first-mover advantage with R&D as a service in the global battery industry. Learn more.

Molecular Universe was recently featured on the cover of Interface, a quarterly publication of The ElectroChemical Society (ECS). Read more.

Robin Kleiman, Ph.D., chief scientific officer for Myrobalan Therapeutics (200 Boston Avenue, Medford), contributed as a working group member to a newly published paper from The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Targets to Therapies (T2T) initiative.

This collaborative effort brings together top scientists to develop a strategic framework for identifying and validating promising therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s disease—a condition still without disease-modifying treatments. The T2T initiative is paving the way for future drug development by prioritizing targets, outlining validation strategies, and creating tools to speed the path from discovery to therapy. Read the abstract.

Jack Regan, Ph.D., CEO, CTO, and co-founder of MantaBio (48 Dunham Ridge, Beverly), is featured in the latest "Life Sciences Decoded" podcast, discussing how his company is eliminating the costly blind spot of contamination in biopharma. MantaBio's fully automated, PCR-based system delivers contamination results in just two hours, eliminating delays, preserving high-value batches, and giving manufacturers the insights they need to act fast. Read more and watch the podcast.

Paul E. Saperstein Co. is hosting a major auction of scientific and manufacturing equipment. Pre-bidding is open now, and items start closing Tuesday, July 22 at 11:00 AM. The auction presents an opportunity to acquire valuable equipment at competitive pricing - view items and learn more. (This is not a Cummings event.)

Tonight! In conjunction with its annual summer mixer, North Shore Technology Council is proud to partner with Ipswich River Watershed Association to highlight topics of water conservation, sustainability in construction and design, and emerging technology to protect our natural resources on the North Shore and beyond. 

Wednesday, July 16, 4:30 - 7:00 PM, at Columbia Construction, Reading. Register.

Join Middlesex 3 Coalition next month for a Life Sciences Meet & Greet. Connect with the region’s thriving life sciences sector and resources at this engaging summer networking event. it is a perfect opportunity to build relationships, discover new opportunities, and strengthen the life sciences ecosystem across the region. Thursday, August 7, 9:00 AM. Register.

MassBio will host a Facilities and Lab Operations Roundtable, focused on security, responsibility, and risk in lab and office spaces.

This discussion will explore the evolving landscape of tenant-landlord responsibilities, with special attention to lab and office security protocols, best practices for space decommissioning, and strategies for mitigating operational risks.

The event is dsigned for facilities managers and lab operations professionals of MassBio member companies. Wednesday, August 6, 12:00 - 2:00 PM. Apply to attend.

Thank you to our friends at Greetown Labs for hosting us yesterday for "Office Hours" with Cummings leasing officer Steve Cusano and business development director Al Diamond. Steve and Al have worked with many startups as they have grown out of the incubator environment, and are happy to be a resource for early-stage companies.

Cummings now offers video tours! Can't get out in person to see a space? Ask us for a video walk-through.

Two of Cummings' stellar summer interns, Ella and Jack, produced this short preview of lab and office space at 8 Cabot Road, Woburn. This corner suite is 5,500 SF with two 6' chemical fume hoods, an emergency shower/eyewash station, a break room, and ample natural light. Learn more.

We welcome your feedback on this newsletter and invite readers to share company news, personnel changes, product launches, funding updates, events, and more. Contact Sue Howland, client engagement manager, at svh@cummings.com to offer your news for upcoming newsletters. We look forward to hearing from you.

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