Agilent Technologies has announced a platinum sponsorship agreement with LabCentral, a biotech innovation hub based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. LabCentral is an independent, shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for high-potential life sciences and biotech startups.
As a platinum sponsor, Agilent will equip LabCentral’s shared laboratory workspace with a variety of Agilent technology. Instruments will include a high-resolution mass spectrometry system, as well as a cell analysis extracellular flux (XF) analyzer. Also, Agilent will fund a high-potential biotech startup company at LabCentral via a contest to award a Golden Ticket. The Agilent-sponsored Golden Ticket is good for one individual bench in LabCentral’s shared facility for one year. Online applications for the Golden Ticket open on October 2, 2017, and will be accepted until November 1, 2017, at 12:00 Noon PST. The finalists will present to an esteemed review panel at a public event at LabCentral on November 16, 2017.
“Agilent is committed to supporting the next generation of scientific pioneers, and what better place to do so than in one of our nation’s fastest growing biotech communities,” said Darlene Solomon, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Agilent. “We couldn’t be more proud to offer our technologies to LabCentral residents, and our support to emerging biotech to help accelerate innovation in critical areas that can improve human health.”
“We’re honored to welcome Agilent as a platinum sponsor, which will enable us to build out significant extra analytical capacity for our startups to use,” said Johannes Fruehauf, M.D., Ph.D., cofounder, and president for LabCentral. “In addition, we are especially happy that Agilent has agreed to become a Golden Ticket sponsor. The team has come up with an exciting process for identifying the winner, and I look forward to participating.”
LabCentral offers a supportive and nurturing environment designed to inspire interaction and collaboration. Startups work side by side on some of the most exciting potential breakthroughs in diagnostics and therapeutics, and prevention — across the spectrum of diseases.
Biopharma is a fast-growing market for Agilent, and Cambridge is a hub of innovation in this field.