Mass Innovation Labs Welcomes Three New Resident Companies Into Its “Bench On Demand” Laboratory Space

EdiGene, Kernal Biologics and Helix Nanotechnologies use Mass Innovation Labs to execute on proof-of-concept and early-stage validation R&D projects

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mass Innovation Labs, an accelerated commercialization space located in Kendall Square, announced today the arrival of three new resident companies into its “Bench on Demand” laboratory space for early-stage biopharmaceutical and life science companies looking to accelerate growth and speed to market. The latest residents include EdiGene, a startup dedicated to the development of genome editing technology for human health, Kernal Biologics, a biotechnology company focused on mRNA therapeutics and mRNA vaccine development and Helix Nanotechnologies, a biotechnology company concentrated on DNA nanotechnology, software and DNA sequencing.

“The Kernal team is thrilled to be a part of this world-class biotech space located in the heart of Kendall Square’s science hub”

EdiGene, Kernal Biologics and Helix Nanotechnologies are all benefitting from Mass Innovation Labs’ Bench on Demand program which provides lab space specifically designed to meet the needs of startup biopharmaceutical and life science companies. Companies taking up residence in the program have access to three rooms that are Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) compliant and include space for viral, bacterial and mammalian research. These fledgling organizations are given the advanced tools they need that you would expect with a fully commercialized biopharmaceutical company to establish proof-of-concept or early-stage validation R&D.

“The Kernal team is thrilled to be a part of this world-class biotech space located in the heart of Kendall Square’s science hub,” said Catherine Moroski, president and co-founder of Kernal Biologics. “Mass Innovation Labs’ Bench on Demand program will serve as a launch pad for our team, giving us the opportunity to accelerate our growth at a rapid speed giving us a competitive advantage.”

“Our Bench on Demand program is tailored to smaller startups and allows scientific teams to work in the space that they need today with the opportunity to grow into a larger Mass Innovation Labs suite later as they succeed,” said Amrit Chaudhuri, CEO and co-founder of Mass Innovation Labs. “There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing our resident companies meet their scientific milestones under our roof here in Cambridge. We’re excited to see first-hand the progression of these three incredibly innovative startups that have chosen our lab space to conduct their early-stage R&D projects.”

In addition to the three new Bench on Demand clients, Oncorus, an early-stage biotechnology company developing a next-generation immunotherapy platform to treat cancer, moved into Mass Innovation Labs’ Innovation Suites space in June. Mass Innovation Labs’ Innovation Suites program is designed to be the optimal science ready lab space for small research teams of one to five to launch or vet a new platform or therapeutic opportunity. The suites come with full operational support from Mass Innovation Labs as well as access to research tools, animal facilities from CRADL and other operational resources.

Mass Innovation Labs recently awarded biotechnology company Oncolinx three free months of Bench on Demand space in Kendall Square for its efforts in the Biotech Tuesday 2016 Innovation Competition where the startup won first place. Focused on developing the next generation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), Oncolinx shared its winning pitch at the 2016 Innovation Competition focused on cancer therapies that have dramatically fewer side effects and are more effective than current methods of treatment. “The Mass Innovation Labs Innovation Award highlights the importance we place on building the biotech ecosystem in the Boston area,” said Seth Taylor, CFO and co-founder of Mass Innovation Labs and co-founder of Biotech Tuesday.

For more information on Mass Innovation Labs, please visit www.massinnovationlabs.com or join us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Mass Innovation Labs

Mass Innovation Labs embodies an ecosystem of innovators in its 124,000-square-foot first-class chemistry and biology space in the heart of Kendall Square. We provide comprehensive solutions for growing companies, including animal facilities, on-site CRO support, co-located CRO services and operational needs. Our goal is to reduce the time for teams to overcome hurdles in achieving milestones. For more information, please visit www.massinnovationlabs.com or join us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.