23 projects are receiving funding to strengthen Massachusetts’ research ecosystem and accelerate the next generation of scientific breakthroughs
BOSTON, Mass. – Today, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) leadership joined industry, academic, and legislative leaders at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University to announce more than $19.7 million in funding supporting 23 projects that will expand cutting-edge research infrastructure, accelerate artificial intelligence and data science, advance next-generation therapeutic delivery technologies, and help move promising discoveries closer to patients. The awards, made through the MLSC’s Research Infrastructure, Research Equipment, and Frontiers programs, as well as the Bits to Bytes and Novel Therapeutics Delivery tracks of the Accelerating Research through Collaboration (ARC) Awards, will strengthen Massachusetts’ life sciences ecosystem by expanding access to shared scientific resources, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and positioning the Commonwealth to lead in emerging areas of scientific innovation.
“Massachusetts leads the world in the life sciences because we continue to invest in the people, partnerships, and technologies that drive monumental discoveries,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These awards will expand access to state-of-the-art tools, accelerate scientific breakthroughs, and strengthen the collaborative ecosystem that helps bring new treatments to patients here in Massachusetts and around the world.”
“From foundational infrastructure and equipment to groundbreaking translational research, these investments reflect our commitment to supporting innovation at every stage of growth,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By investing in areas across the life sciences ecosystem, we are empowering researchers to pursue bold ideas, forge new collaborations, and accelerate breakthroughs that will shape the future of the industry.”
Together, these investments span the full research continuum, from shared infrastructure and advanced scientific equipment to interdisciplinary collaborations and high-risk translational research that have the potential to unlock entirely new approaches to disease. Today’s awards build on approximately $638 million previously invested through these competitive research programs.
“The Massachusetts life sciences ecosystem succeeds because it continuously adapts to where research is headed next,” said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley, co-chair of the MLSC Board of Directors. “These investments position the Commonwealth to lead in emerging fields such as AI and translational science while expanding the shared infrastructure and capabilities that make Massachusetts the best place in the world for innovation.”
“Each of these awards represents an investment in the long-term strength of Massachusetts’ life sciences ecosystem,” said MLSC President and CEO Kirk Taylor, MD. “By supporting shared research infrastructure, interdisciplinary collaboration, and bold translational science, we are incredibly proud to be helping researchers pursue discoveries that will strengthen the Commonwealth’s innovation ecosystem and ultimately improve patients’ lives.”
“We are honored to host the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center as we celebrate their continued commitment to advancing life sciences innovation across the Commonwealth,” said Wyss Institute Founding Director and Core Faculty Member Don Ingber, MD, PhD. “As Wyss scientists know from past experience, investments like these empower researchers, strengthen collaboration, and provide the tools needed to translate groundbreaking ideas into discoveries that can address complex challenges and improve human health in ways not possible with conventional forms of support.”
Research Infrastructure Program
The Center is awarding more than $11 million to support six projects through the Research Infrastructure program, establishing and expanding shared research resources that are broadly accessible to investigators across Massachusetts.
Awardees:
Awardee Institution: Boston University
Project Title: Advancing Spatial and Molecular Imaging in the Commonwealth: DALISPIM and mIRage-HSi for Research and Training at Boston University
Awardee Institution: Marine Biological Laboratory
Project Title: Advancing Imaging Innovation and Access Through Next-Generation Optical Microscopy Technologies
Awardee Institution: Massachusetts General Hospital
Project Title: MINFLUX Microscope for Superresolution
Awardee Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Project Title: Optical Tweezers System and Optical Components to Directly Measure and Image Single Molecule Forces and Movements
Awardee Institution: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Project Title: Protein Crosslinking Mass Spectrometry with the Orbitrap Astral Zoom – Driving Connections in the Massachusetts Life Science Community
Awardee Institution: Wyss Institute at Harvard University
Project Title: A Next-Generation Metabolomics/Lipidomics Analytical Platform
Research Equipment Program
The MLSC is awarding more than $2 million through the Research Equipment program to support five projects that will expand access to advanced scientific equipment across the Commonwealth.
Awardees:
Awardee Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Project Goal: A Shared, High-Throughput Auto-Stainer for the Integrated Tissue Processing and Spatial Imaging Core Facility at MIT’s Koch Institute
Awardee Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Project Goal: Fundamental Micro-Patterning Tools for Translational Life Sciences and Biomedical Engineering in Western Massachusetts
Awardee Institution: University of Massachusetts Lowell
Project Goal: Acquisition of Flow Cytometer for Advanced Cell Analysis at UMass Lowell
Awardee Institution: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Project Goal: Single Molecule Localization Super-Resolution Microscope
Awardee Institution: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Project Goal: Acquisition of Spectral Cell Sorter
Bits to Bytes Program
AI and advanced data science are rapidly transforming biomedical research. Through the Bits to Bytes track of the Accelerating Research through Collaboration (ARC) Awards, the MLSC is investing more than $3 million in four collaborative projects that harness artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large-scale biological datasets to address pressing life sciences challenges. Each project also supports the hiring of at least one new postdoctoral researcher, helping grow Massachusetts’ data science workforce while advancing innovative research.
Awardees:
Awardee (PI, Institution): Paloma Cejas, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Industry Partner: Aitia
Project Title: From Chromatin Code and AI to Clinical Response: Biomarkers Guiding Epigenetic Therapies
Awardee (PI, Institution): Braden Tierney, The Two Frontiers Project
Industry Partner: Holobiome, Inc.
Project Title: Large-Scale Cryopreservation, Culturing, and Multi-Omic Characterization of the Gut Microbiome Across Diverse Hosts
Awardee (PI, Institution): Daniel Haehn, University of Massachusetts Boston
Industry Partner: INIA Biosciences
Project Title: SPLEEN-US: Open Annotated Spleen Ultrasound Dataset for Precision Neuromodulation
Awardee (PIs, Institution): Clifford Lindsay, Mohammed Salman Shazeeb, & Gopal Vijayaraghavan, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Industry Partner: DeepHealth
Project Title: Harnessing Breast Cancer Screening for Predicting Cardiovascular Disease
Novel Therapeutics Delivery Program
Through the Novel Therapeutics Delivery track of the ARC Awards, the MLSC is investing more than $1.4 million in two collaborative projects that bring together expertise in engineering, biology, chemistry, and medicine to develop innovative approaches for delivering promising therapies. Each project also supports the hiring of at least one new postdoctoral researcher, contributing to workforce growth while advancing next-generation treatment technologies.
Awardees:
Awardee (PI, Institution): Anahita Dua, Massachusetts General Hospital
Industry Partner(s): Haemonetics
Project Title: Precision Antithrombotic Therapy to Prevent Thrombosis and Amputation in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease: A Randomized Control Trial
Awardee (PI, Institution): Matthew Rosen, Massachusetts General Hospital
Industry Partner(s): Polarean, Inc.
Project Title: Hyperpolarized Xenon MRI Platform to Support Development of Novel Pulmonary Therapeutic Drugs Delivery and Mechanisms of Action
Frontiers Program
The MLSC is investing more than $1.1 million through the Frontiers program to support six bold, early-stage translational research projects addressing diseases and conditions that have historically received insufficient investment relative to their burden on patients.
Awardees:
Awardee (PI, Institution): Daniel Hochbaum, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Project Title: Brain Specific Modulation of Thyroid Hormone Levels for the Treatment of Depression
Awardee (PI, Institution): James Kirby, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Project Title: Advancing Combination Therapies for Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Infection
Awardee (PI, Institution): Yu Jing Jan Heng, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Project Title: Feminizing Hormone Therapy and BRCA2-Related Cancer Risks
Awardee (PI, Institution): Arindam Bhattacharjee, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Project Title: Transforming Newborn Screening: Low-Cost Genomic Detection of Pediatric Cancer Risk
Awardee (PI, Institution): Wendy Garrett, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Project Title: Reversing the Curse: Targeting Gut Microbial Uremic Toxins to Improve Immunity and Response to Infection in Chronic Kidney Disease
Awardee (PI, Institution): Aleksandar Kostic, Joslin Diabetes Center
Project Title: Proinsulin-Loaded Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles for Antigen-Specific Tolerance in Type 1 Diabetes
Statements of Support:
“We are grateful for the support of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to advance important research efforts across Beth Israel Lahey Health,” said Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, Chief Academic Officer, Beth Israel Lahey Health & Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “Together, we will continue to drive innovation, deliver cutting-edge science, and accelerate treatments for patients.”
“This investment will equip Boston University with advanced spatial and molecular imaging capabilities at resolutions essential to understand and interact with biology at the most fundamental scale,” said Kenneth Lutchen, Boston University Vice President and Associate Provost for Research. “The award further amplifies how the Photonics Center can advance interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on training for the next generation of life sciences researchers. Moreover, this new facility will reinforce Massachusetts’ leadership in scientific innovation and the Commonwealth’s broader life sciences ecosystem.”
“Support from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center is an important step forward for our project,” said Arindam Bhattacharjee, PhD, Senior Investigator, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “This funding allows us to evaluate an innovative, low-cost sample pooling workflow designed to reduce genomic sequencing costs. While our initial focus is on a specific disease area, the approach has the potential to inform broader screening efforts for severe childhood-onset disorders and help expand access to precision medicine. We hope this work will provide a scalable model for population-level screening and contribute to ongoing efforts to advance equitable healthcare in Massachusetts and beyond.”
“We are entering a new era of precision oncology, where clinical samples can be decoded at an unprecedented level of resolution,” said Paloma Cejas, PhD, Head of Innovation for the Center for Functional Cancer Epignetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “At the Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, we apply a multiomic pipeline that integrates chromatin profiling, single-cell, and spatial analysis to investigate samples from clinical trials. Combined with AITIA’s digital twin AI technology, our multidisciplinary team aims to transform complex biological data into real therapeutic opportunities for patients.”
“In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the body’s own insulin-producing cells,” said Aleksandar Kostic, PhD, Assistant Investigator and Associate Director for the Animal Physiology Core at Joslin Diabetes Center. “We’re developing a way to stop that attack — precisely, without weakening the immune protection people depend on. To do it, we deliver proinsulin, the protein it targets, inside the tiny packages that gut bacteria naturally use to communicate with the immune system, teaching it tolerance rather than destruction. MLSC’s support is what makes this kind of high-risk, high-reward science possible.”
“We are very grateful to the MLSC for this investment in MBL’s research infrastructure,” said Anne Sylvester, Director of Research at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL). “This award strengthens the life sciences community in Massachusetts by adding two state-of-the-art microscopes to our Central Microscopy Facility. Combined with increased access to computational image analysis, these new imaging capabilities will accelerate discovery, education, and innovation for researchers and industry partners across the Commonwealth and beyond.”
“As Chief Academic Officer for Mass General Brigham, I’m delighted for the Mass Life Sciences Center award of the MINFLUX microscope to Mass General Hospital and Dr. Roy Soberman,” said Paul Anderson, Chief Academic Officer, Mass General Brigham. “The MINFLUX will be the lynchpin in a system-wide initiative to bring state-of-the-art imaging and microscopy to scientists at MGH and MGB, and to our colleagues across the state. The ability to resolve proteins at a resolution of 1-2 nm and to follow their movement in real time will impact all the disciplines we study.”
“Bringing the MINFLUX to Massachusetts General Hospital provides researchers with the unprecedented ability to track individual proteins in 3D space at the nanometer level,” said Karsten Bahlmann, Chief Scientific Officer at Abberior Instruments America. “We are thrilled to partner with Dr Roy Soberman’s advanced Imaging Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Brigham and grateful to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center for funding one of the most powerful super-resolution microscopes in the country, keeping Boston at the forefront of scientific discovery.”
“Peripheral artery disease remains a leading cause of disability and major limb amputation, yet current antithrombotic therapy is largely a one-size-fits-all approach which result in poor outcomes for these patients,” said Anahita Dua, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. “This award will enable us to develop and rigorously evaluate a novel precision medicine strategy that personalizes antithrombotic therapy to each patient’s unique biology, with the goal of preventing thrombosis, reducing amputations, and minimizing bleeding complications. Through our collaboration with Haemonetics, we hope to transform the way patients with peripheral artery disease are treated while further strengthening Massachusetts’ leadership in collaborative biomedical innovation.”
“Polarean is proud to collaborate with Dr. Matthew Rosen, Massachusetts General Hospital and the A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging on this important initiative,” said Christopher R. von Jako, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Polarean. “Hyperpolarized Xenon MRI offers a unique opportunity to better understand how novel pulmonary therapies are delivered and act within the lung. By enabling researchers to visualize regional lung function and assess therapeutic mechanisms of action, this platform has the potential to accelerate pulmonary drug development and ultimately improve patient care. We thank the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center for supporting collaborative research and strengthening Massachusetts’ leadership in life sciences innovation.”
“We are wicked excited to be awarded a state-of-the-art multiplexing automated staining instrument from the MLSC,” said Kathy Cormier, Core Director of the Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research at MIT. “Our cancer biologists will now be able to stain and image up to 60 cell markers per precious sample. We look forward to using this new instrument to understand how tumors grow, how therapies can be precisely targeted, and how myriad immune cells coordinate their cancer-fighting tactics. With an instrument capable of running 24/7, we will be able to expand our tissue processing and spatial imaging know-how to researchers throughout the commonwealth.”
“These MLSC awards enable the important role that shared research infrastructure plays in driving innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development,” said Peter H. Reinhart, Founding Director of the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at UMass Amherst. “By bringing advanced microfabrication and single-molecule analytical capabilities to Western Massachusetts and making them broadly accessible to academic and industry researchers, we are accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries into new technologies, products, and solutions. These investments will deepen industry engagement, expand workforce training opportunities, and further strengthen Massachusetts’ leadership in the global life sciences sector.”
“The University of Massachusetts Boston is proud to partner with INIA Biosciences to create SPLEEN-US, the world’s largest open annotated ultrasound dataset of the spleen,” said Daniel Haehn, PhD, Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts Boston. “This collaboration will advance AI-driven spleen imaging and support the development of precision neuromodulation therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases, with the goal of improving patient care.”
“Through MLSC’s investment, UMass Lowell will now offer the first public flow cytometry core facility in the region,” said UMass Lowell Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development Anne Maglia. “Led by UMass Lowell’s Cell Analysis and Imaging Core Lab Manager Mingli Hou, this project fills a critical geographic and functional gap, providing students and faculty at UML and surrounding academic institutions with hands-on experience to advance their educational and research missions. This will also benefit startups and small businesses that do not have access to such high-cost, specialized equipment. We are grateful for MLSC’s investment and look forward to providing this shared resource to the community.”
“We are so grateful for this award from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, which will allow us to take a meaningful step toward addressing a leading cause of death among women and, through the creation of a large and comprehensive dataset, act as a catalyst for the field of predictive AI,” said Clifford Lindsay, PhD, Associate Director, Image Processing & Analysis Core (iPAC) at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.
“Whitehead Institute’s three awards will strengthen shared research resources in proteomics, microscopy, and cell sorting, expanding what scientists across our community can measure and understand,” said Whitehead Institute Director Ruth Lehmann. “Investment in advanced technologies that can accelerate discovery is part of what makes Massachusetts an extraordinary place to pursue fundamental research with the potential to improve human health,”
“Whitehead Institute has prided itself on being a center of innovation in Kendall Square and our core facilities have been critical to this role,” said Sebastian Lourido, PhD, Faculty Liaison for the Whitehead Institute’s Innovation Centers. “The awards from MLSC allow us to continue this legacy by bringing to the Institute new instrumentation at the cutting-edge of biological exploration.”
“This grant is fantastic because it allows us not only to replace an old instrument, but to replace it with a brand-new technology,” said Patrick Autissier, PhD, Director, Flow Cytometry Core at the Whitehead Institute. “It’s going to open a lot more opportunities not only for internal users, but for external users as well.”
About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public economic development investment agency dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the life sciences in Massachusetts, home to the most verdant and productive life sciences ecosystem in the world. Through public-private funding initiatives, the MLSC supports innovation, research and development, commercialization, and manufacturing activities in the fields of biopharma, medical device, diagnostics and digital health. Since 2008, the MLSC has strategically deployed more than $1.1 billion in Massachusetts, through a combination of grants, loans, capital infrastructure investments, tax incentives and workforce development programs. These investments have created thousands of jobs and propelled the development of new therapies, devices and scientific advancements that are improving patient health and well-being in Massachusetts and beyond.
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