LabCentral

Co-founders Peter Parker of BioInnovation LLC and Johannes Fruehauf of Cambridge Biolabs, first thought of flexible, turnkey laboratory space for startups in 2006 while launching Cequent Pharmaceuticals with technology licensed from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center {{Citation needed|reason=Is this a claim that Peter Parker and Johannes Freuhauf were the first to think of flexible, turnkey laboratory space?|date=May 2019}}. After selling Cequent {{Citation needed|reason=No evidence they sold the company can be found anywhere|date=May 2019}}, they each established new ventures as residents of the Cambridge Innovation Center, a shared office space for startups established by Tim Rowe. In late 2012, Rowe joined Parker and Fruehauf as a co-founder of LabCentral, and with the help of Steven Tregay of Forma Therapeutics and John Harthorne of MassChallenge, created LabCentral with the goal of allowing entrepreneurs to pool resources.{{cite web|last=McQuilken|first=Angus G.|title=Governor Patrick to launch construction for LabCentral biotech hub with Senator Mary Landrieu today in Kendall Square, Cambridge|url=http://www.masslifesciences.com/docs/LabCentralGroundbreakingRelease%2004.04.2013.pdf|publisher=The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center|accessdate=16 August 2013}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

On February 7, 2013, The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announced that it awarded LabCentral a $5 million capital grant to fund LabCentral.{{cite news|last=Szaniszlo|first=Szaniszlo|title=LabCentral to be $5M test tube for bio startups|url=http://bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2013/02/labcentral_to_be_5m_test_tube_for_bio_startups|accessdate=16 August 2013|newspaper=Boston Herald|date=2013-02-08}}{{cite news|last=Kirsner|first=Scott|title=LabCentral, a new hatchery for science-oriented startups, is seeking space in Kendall Square|url=http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2012/09/labcentral_a_new_hatchery_for.html|accessdate=16 August 2013|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=2012-09-20}}{{cite web|last=McQuilken|first=Angus G.|title=Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Awards $5 Million Grant For "LabCentral" Start-up Laboratory In Cambridge|url=http://www.masslifesciences.com/docs/LabCentral%20Capital%20Grant%2002%2007%202013.pdf|publisher=The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center|accessdate=16 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424220338/http://www.masslifesciences.com/docs/LabCentral%20Capital%20Grant%2002%2007%202013.pdf|archive-date=24 April 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Kendall Square's LabCentral awarded $5 million grant to help startups|url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x766864796/Kendall-Square-s-LabCentral-awarded-5-million-grant-to-help-startups|accessdate=16 August 2013|newspaper=Cambridge Chronicle|date=2013-02-09}} Triumvirate Environmental also became a founding sponsor with a donation of 2.5 million dollars.{{cite web|last=Barone|first=Steve|title=Triumvirate Environmental Donates $2.5million as Founding Sponsor of LabCentral|url=http://www.triumvirate.com/blog/bid/95905/Triumvirate-Environmental-Donates-2-5million-as-Founding-Sponsor-of-LabCentral|publisher=Triumvirate Environmental|accessdate=16 August 2013}} Other early sponsors include Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Cooley LLP, Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP,{{cite web|title=Edwards Wildman Sponsors LabCentral, First Large Scale Biotech-Capable Shared Lab Facility in Cambridge, Mass.|url=http://hit.edwardswildman.com/news3/news_detail.aspx?news=4072|publisher=Edwards Wildman Palmer|accessdate=16 August 2013}} and Johnson & Johnson Innovation. MIT Investment Management Company is LabCentral's real estate partner.{{cite news|title=LabCentral, Launchpad for Start-ups and Heart of the Cambridge Biotech Innovation Hub, Begins Accepting Applications for LabCentral Shared Laboratory Space; Signs New Sponsors|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/business/press-releases/20130717-labcentral-launchpad-for-start-ups-and-heart-of-the-cambridge-biotech-innovation-hub-begins-accepting-applications-for-labcentral-shared-laboratory-space-signs-new-sponsors.ece|accessdate=16 August 2013|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=2013-07-17}}

On April 4, 2013, LabCentral hosted a groundbreaking event at its 700 Main Street location in Kendall Square, Cambridge. Speakers included Governor Deval Patrick, Senator Mary L. Landrieu, chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Susan Windham-Bannister, PhD, president of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, State Senator Sal DiDomenico, and MIT Associate Provost Martin Schmidt.

As of June 2013, LabCentral was approaching $10 million in funding.{{cite news|title=LabCentral: Building a new model for early stage biotech|url=http://ebdgroup.com/partneringnews/2013/06/labcentral-building-a-new-model-for-early-stage-biotech/|accessdate=16 August 2013|newspaper=EBD Group AG|date=2013-06-17}}

In August 2013, LabCentral announced that Vaxess Technologies will be the first company that will move into the facility.{{cite web|title=Vaxess Moves to LabCentral|url=https://twitter.com/Vaxess/statuses/367397642453524480|publisher=Twitter|accessdate=13 August 2013}}{{cite web|last=Fruehauf|first=Johannes|title=First company selected for LabCentral: Vaxess|url=http://www.labcentral.org/first-company-selected-for-labcentral-vaxess/|publisher=LabCentral|accessdate=14 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230232943/http://www.labcentral.org/first-company-selected-for-labcentral-vaxess/|archive-date=30 December 2013|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=Borchers|first=Callum|title=Loan may help vaccines get to crisis areas|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/12/23/from-hive/wZqAeYLlGZyiDxGmqsYRAP/story.html|accessdate=28 December 2013|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=2013-12-23}} Vaxess is a startup created by Harvard graduates who are working to commercialize a Tufts University technology that will stabilize vaccines so they can be shipped and stored without refrigeration.{{cite news|last=Burgstone|first=Jon|title=4 Harvard Start-ups to Watch|url=http://www.inc.com/jon-burgstone/4-harvard-startups-to-watch.html|accessdate=18 May 2012|newspaper=Inc.com|date=2012-04-25}}{{cite web|title=MIT $100K - Vaxess Technologies|url=http://mit100k.org/bpc/bpc-semi-finalists/vaxess-technologies/|publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology|accessdate=7 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512184348/http://mit100k.org/bpc/bpc-semi-finalists/vaxess-technologies/|archive-date=12 May 2012|url-status=dead}}

In September 2013, LabCentral announced that Eppendorf North America became a gold sponsor. Eppendorf North America is a subsidiary of Eppendorf AG, the world's market leader in the field of developing, producing and selling products and services for laboratories.{{cite news|last=Grossman|first=Caroline|title=LabCentral Adds Eppendorf as a Major Sponsor of the Cambridge Launchpad for Life Science Startups|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/labcentral-adds-eppendorf-major-sponsor-161400130.html|accessdate=10 October 2013|newspaper=Yahoo! Finance|date=2013-09-30}}

In October 2013, LabCentral announced that Auxocell Laboratories Inc. had been admitted. Auxocell has developed a new method to harvest Wharton's jelly for use in various medical treatments.{{cite web|last=Fruehauf|first=Johannes|title=Auxocell Admitted to LabCentral|url=http://www.labcentral.org/auxocell-admitted-to-labcentral/|publisher=LabCentral|accessdate=10 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006145346/http://www.labcentral.org/auxocell-admitted-to-labcentral/|archive-date=6 October 2013|url-status=dead}} Conkwest was also admitted and is the first organization admitted to LabCentral that's working on treatments for cancer.{{cite web|last=Fruehauf|first=Johannes|title=LabCentral resident Conkwest treats Cancer with Natural Killer Cells|url=http://www.labcentral.org/labcentral-resident-conkwest-treats-cancer-with-natural-killer-cells/|publisher=LabCentral|accessdate=10 October 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131204204126/http://www.labcentral.org/labcentral-resident-conkwest-treats-cancer-with-natural-killer-cells/|archive-date=4 December 2013|url-status=dead}}

In November 2013, Life Technologies Corporation was announced as a major sponsor and American Laboratory Trading was announced as gold sponsors.{{cite news|title=LabCentral Launches Laboratory Operations; Signs American Laboratory Trading as a Gold Sponsor|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/labcentral-launches-laboratory-operations-signs-american-laboratory-trading-as-a-gold-sponsor-232524881.html|accessdate=25 November 2013|newspaper=PR Newswire|date=2013-11-19}}{{cite news|last=Grossman|first=Caroline|title=LabCentral Signs New Agreement in Support of Life-Sciences Startups|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/labcentral-signs-new-agreement-in-support-of-life-sciences-startups-234375591.html|accessdate=4 December 2013|newspaper=PRNewsWire|date=2012-12-04}}

It was also announced that other organizations such as Bayesian Ventures and 121 Bio moved into LabCentral.{{cite news|last=Arnold|first=Chris|title=What Happens When The Pace Of Startups Slows Down|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/10/31/241842739/what-happens-when-the-pace-of-startups-slows-down|accessdate=6 November 2013|newspaper=NPR|date=2013-10-31}}

In March 2014, Boston Business Journal listed LabCentral as one of Johnson & Johnson's six bets made in 2014.{{cite news|last=Donnelly|first=Julie M.|title=Here are the six bets J&J made in Boston in the past year|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bioflash/2014/03/here-are-the-six-bets-jj-made-in.html?page=all|accessdate=2 April 2014|newspaper=Boston Business Journal|date=2014-03-04}} LabCentral announced a sponsorship from Pfizer. The sponsorship allows Pfizer to nominate two startups per year to gain access to lab space at LabCentral.{{cite news|title=LabCentral Announces Sponsorship by Pfizer to Support Life-Science Startup Companies in Cambridge, Massachusetts|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/business/press-releases/20140401-labcentral-announces-sponsorship-by-pfizer-to-support-life-science-startup-companies-in-cambridge-massachusetts.ece|accessdate=2 April 2014|newspaper=Providence Journal|date=2014-04-01}} It was also announced that 11 companies currently reside at LabCentral but that 14 would occupy LabCentral by the end of April.{{cite news|last=Keohane|first=Dennis|title=LabCentral to Officially Open Biotech Space This Week|url=http://betaboston.com/gallery/2014/03/31/lab-central-opens-governor-patrick-historic-mit/|accessdate=2 April 2014|newspaper=BetaBoston|date=2014-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404005422/http://betaboston.com/gallery/2014/03/31/lab-central-opens-governor-patrick-historic-mit/|archive-date=4 April 2014|url-status=dead}}

In April 2014, Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick helped celebrate the grand opening of Labcentral and announced a capital funding of $5M for LabCentral.{{cite news|title=Governor Patrick Celebrates Grand Opening of LabCentral Biotech Hub, Announces $5 Million in Capital Funding|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/business/press-releases/20140402-governor-patrick-celebrates-grand-opening-of-labcentral-biotech-hub-announces-5-million-in-capital-funding.ece|accessdate=3 April 2014|newspaper=Providence Journal|date=2014-04-02}}{{cite news|last=Baldassari|first=Erin|title=Patrick Celebrates Grand Opening Of LabCentral|url=http://www.bankerandtradesman.com//news159025.html|accessdate=3 April 2014|newspaper=Banker & Tradesman|date=2013-04-03}}

LabCentral's original 70,000 square-foot facility is located in an historic, MIT-owned building at 700 Main Street, Cambridge.{{cite news|last=Baldassari|first=Erin|title=Historic building in Cambridge gets new use as shared lab space|url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x1037510826/Historic-building-in-Cambridge-gets-new-use-as-shared-lab-space|accessdate=21 November 2013|newspaper=Cambridge Chronicle|date=2013-02-14}}

The company has since expanded across three core locations and is also the operating partner at the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab. To accommodate demand for its growing startups, LabCentral opened LabCentral 610 (33,000 sq. feet) with support from Pfizer in December 2017. LabCentral opened an additional 100,000 sq. feet of shared laboratory and office space in Fall 2021 at 238 Main Street. Designed with a focus on process development and scale-up for biomanufacturing, LabCentral 238’s purpose is to facilitate company transitions from R&D bench-scale science into scalable production of pre-clinical material in anticipation of clinical and GMP manufacturing.

At its core, LabCentral offers fully functional lab space for as many as 125 start-ups comprising approximately 1000 scientists and entrepreneurs. The LabCentral locations are tailored to address the needs of growing biotechs at different stages of their development. Various equipment is available such as Mass spectrometry, electron microscopes, real-time-qPCR, flow cytometry, chemical hoods, centrifuges, biosafety cabinets and incubators, BSL-2-rated suites, High-performance liquid chromatography, and plate readers.{{cite news|last=Resende|first=Patricia|title=LabCentral gets $5M boost for new lab space|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bioflash/2013/02/labcentral-gets-5m-boost-new-lab-space.html|accessdate=16 August 2013|newspaper=Boston Business Journal|date=2013-02-07}}

LabCentral services and offerings include equipment maintenance and technical support, co-working and meeting spaces, safety/compliance training, central waste handling, biosafety permits, events and programming, and business development assistance. On-site CRO support (FTE basis), logistical support, and group purchasing are also provided, as are other programs where pooled access reduces costs.{{cite web|last=Fruehauf|first=Johannes|title=Lab Central History|url=http://www.germany.info/contentblob/3859882/Daten/3189617/10_Fruehauf1_dld.pdf|publisher=Germany.info|accessdate=5 December 2013}}

Prospective resident companies apply via the LabCentral website. If the company is a fit for the LabCentral community, they are invited to pitch to a selection committee consisting of LabCentral’s senior leadership, co-founders and members of the board, as well as representatives from LabCentral's founding sponsors. Applicants with the highest potential are admitted to the community and placed at the site best suited to their needs {{Citation needed|reason=No evidence to support idea that applicants with "highest potential" are the ones admitted, this is strangely self-promotional|date=June 2023}}.{{cite news|title=LabCentral, New Biotech Incubator, Opens up in Kendall Square|url=http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2013/11/20/labcentral-new-biotech-incubator-opens-kendall-square/|accessdate=25 November 2013|newspaper=XConomy|date=2013-11-20}}

Tenants, referred to as "residents", pay a $425 per month fee for membership per person. Benches begin at $4,090 per month. Private lab suites vary in price based on site and size. Additional office space costs $1,000 to $6,000 per month.

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• {{official website|http://www.labcentral.org/}}

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Category:American companies established in 2013

Category:Privately held companies based in Massachusetts

Category:Companies based in Cambridge, Massachusetts