Accelerating Science
Empowering Breakthroughs Together
In 2025, founders pushed what early-stage biotech can accomplish. Nearly half of LabCentral resident companies integrated AI into their work and used genomics workflows to accelerate their discovery timelines. Through the launch of the AI BioHub, expanded access to shared equipment, and the commitment to our standard of operational excellence that keeps labs running at capacity, sophisticated science no longer has to wait for Seed funding. The investments LabCentral made helped startups move faster, run better experiments, and build ambitious companies earlier.
AI BioHub
As artificial intelligence becomes inseparable from modern biology, early-stage founders face a practical challenge: how to access advanced AI capabilities alongside the wet-lab infrastructure needed to validate their science early. In 2025, LabCentral responded by launching the AI BioHub—a purpose-built lab and dedicated accelerator program designed specifically for AI-enabled biotech.
Supported by a $1.9M Sector Spark grant from MassTech and developed in collaboration with C10 Labs, the AI BioHub gives startups access to the tools, expertise, and environment required to apply AI thoughtfully and effectively. The program combines shared access to advanced equipment, scalable compute, and embedded AI support within a structured accelerator—helping teams build strong scientific foundations from the outset.
In its inaugural year, the AI BioHub Accelerator supported 15 companies, enabling founders to translate computational insight into real, testable biology.
The AI BioHub Accelerator Program
The first cohort of the AI BioHub Accelerator Program brought together 15 teams working across drug discovery, genomics analysis, and clinical diagnostics. LabCentral provided access to cutting-edge wet lab facilities and infrastructure, while C10 Labs brought deep expertise in AI-first venture building, offering mentorship, technical guidance, and strategic support to help startups reach product-market fit. The program was designed to reflect the realities of AI-first biotech—where progress depends on close integration between modeling, experimentation, and iteration.
- Ten weeks of programming, followed by twelve weeks of embedded technical support
- Four AI Fellows serving as fractional engineering resources
- Extended access to LabCentral wet labs and C10 Labs office space to ensure continuity from concept to experiment
- Guidance from ~35 mentors across technical deep dives, company building, and founder office hours
- Recurring ecosystem sessions to foster collective learning
- Technical workshops for refinement and networking
- Final showcase to highlight cohort progress
The AI BioHub Lab
The AI BioHub includes a dedicated lab at 700 Main Street and new equipment designed to support data-intensive models—where data quality, experimental control, and speed of iteration are critical. You don’t have to be a dedicated AI company to benefit from this equipment; it’s accessible to all LabCentral residents. While LabCentral invested $884K in capital renovations and equipment; partner contributions, negotiated vendor agreements, and shared-access models expanded the total value available to founders to more than $1.7M—roughly a 2× leverage on capital that stretched every grant dollar and demonstrated the power of collaboration.
- Next-generation sequencing for rapid, high-quality genomic analysis
- Single-cell analysis platforms enabling fine-grained biological insight
- Liquid Handling for automated sample prep
- Cell sorting and cellular analysis tools for precise experimental control
- Access to cloud-based compute resources to support model development and iteration
The Dish Live
A Conversation with Phil Sharp
LabCentral’s commitment to scientific excellence extends beyond the lab through programming that brings pioneering thinkers directly into the community. In 2025, The Dish returned for its second annual live taping, featuring Nobel laureate Dr. Phil Sharp in conversation with LabCentral Chairman, Johannes Fruehauf, MD, PhD.
A professor at MIT and recipient of the Nobel Prize for his 1977 discovery of RNA splicing, Sharp helped transform our understanding of gene expression and laid critical groundwork for the modern biotechnology industry. Before a live audience—with priority access for LabCentral residents—the discussion explored scientific discovery, translating breakthroughs into therapies, and the enduring role of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing biotech.
Genomics at Work
Innovation Showcase
Genomics continues to accelerate—reshaping drug discovery, diagnostics, and personalized medicine. In fall 2025, we put a spotlight on this momentum through an Innovation Showcase day, bringing researchers, startups, and industry leaders together for an afternoon focused on what’s next.
Through a keynote followed by a fireside chat, interactive discussions, and sponsor exhibits, attendees explored the tools, technologies, and collaborations driving the field forward.
The keynote conversation, From Genomes to Generative Models: The New Era of Life Science Innovation, featured Niall Lennon (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard), Morgan Maeder (Aurora Therapeutics), and Dr. Christalyn Rhodes, offering perspectives at the intersection of genomics, AI, and translational science.
Facilities & Equipment
World-Class Tools, Shared Access
Access to a remarkable portfolio of equipment valued at over $15M remains one of LabCentral’s most meaningful advantages for early-stage companies. In 2025, investment in shared infrastructure let founders run sophisticated experiments without the cost, delay, or complexity of standalone lab buildouts.
While our in-house capabilities are extensive, LabCentral’s Core Facilities Program connects residents to specialized equipment and expertise across a prestigious network of institutions. This program ensures that even the most complex research needs are met—without the overhead of independent access.
Revvity Operetta CLS
Equipment Highlight
Revvity's Operetta CLS is a high-content, high-throughput imaging system enabling automated live- and fixed-cell analysis at scale, delivering rich, quantitative imaging data.
Located at 238 Main Street
Sony MA900 High-Speed Cell Sorter
Equipment Highlight
Sony's MA900 is a fluorescence-activated cell-sorting system designed for speed and reliability in a multi-user environment, accelerating cell-based workflows.
Located at 700 Main Street
Next-Generation Sequencing Workflow
Equipment Highlight
LabCentral’s genomics suite combines Illumina MiSeq i100 and NextSeq 2000 sequencers, Eppendorf epMotion automation, Qiagen instrumentation, and 10x Chromium single-cell partitioning to support both bulk and single-cell sequencing with faster turnaround.
Located at 700 Main Street
Operational Excellence
Behind every experiment is a foundation of operational support that keeps work moving. In 2025, the LabCentral team continued to scale operations across sites to ensure labs remained safe, efficient, and welcoming. From onboarding to equipment access, to the details that make labs feel human, operations remained a powerful enabler of scientific progress.
Senior Scientist, Basecamp Research
Sustainability & Environmental Stewardship
In 2025, LabCentral implemented multiple sustainability initiatives across our sites—reducing single-use lab plastics, strengthening responsible waste management, and activating community-led environmental initiatives. From closed-loop recycling programs to progress toward internationally recognized laboratory sustainability standards, these efforts reflect a commitment to embedding stewardship into daily scientific work. By integrating sustainability into lab operations, we aim to support breakthrough science while minimizing its environmental footprint.
Reducing Plastic Waste
In late 2025, LabCentral introduced nitrile glove recycling at 238 Main Street. Since launch, 207 lbs of gloves have been recycled, reducing an additional 689 lbs of carbon emissions. Expansion to Bayer CoLab and 700 Main Street is effective January 2026.
Earlier in the year, LabCentral implemented a closed-loop pipette tip box recycling program. Across all locations, residents recycled 7,348 lbs of plastic, resulting in:
Additional Sustainability Initiatives
Responsible Waste Management
Triumvirate Environmental remains a key operations and sustainability partner, providing daily onsite hazardous and biological waste support. As a leading environmental services provider to the life sciences industry, Triumvirate ensures that complex lab waste is handled safely and responsibly. Solid biological waste is processed at their facility in Pittsburgh and converted into durable plastic lumber used for outdoor furniture, raised beds, and construction materials—diverting material from landfill and closing the loop on practical reuse.
Community-Led Sustainability
2025 also saw the formation of LabCentral Sustainability Employee Resource Group (ERG), which led initiatives such as MUGVEMBER, a reusable mug campaign that increased engagement around reducing disposable café consumables. LabCentral made significant progress toward My Green Lab certification in the second-floor open lab at our 700 Main Street location. My Green Lab is the recognized international “gold standard” for laboratory sustainability, designed to help scientists and teams implement actionable, science-based changes to reduce the environmental impact of their work. Certification submission is on track for early 2026, marking a significant step toward embedding sustainable practices into everyday lab operations.