NYU Langone Health, the New York City-based academic medical center located and affiliated with New York University, announced the opening of biotechnology incubator BioLabs@NYU Langone, billed as the largest of its kind in the city.

WHY IT MATTERS
Boasting more than 50,000 square feet of renovated and fully equipped laboratory and office space, the Manhattan-based incubator will eventually house more than 35 early-stage biotechnology and life sciences companies and 160 scientists, business personnel, and support staff.

BioLabs@NYULangone is a partnership between BioLabs, a membership-based network of shared lab facilities located in the nation’s key biotech innovation clusters, and NYU Langone Health.

The coworking facility is sponsored by major pharmaceutical companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim, and last year received a $5 million grant and sponsorship from Lifesci NYC, the EDC’s $500 million commitment to establish the city as a global leader in life sciences R&D and innovation.

The aim of the incubator is to help enable startups to focus on science and innovation, and ultimately move more quickly into their own spaces, as well as foster collaboration between research institutions, innovators, and startup businesses.

Companies selected for BioLabs@NYULangone – there are currently 22 already residing in the space – will start with a package of tailored laboratory equipment and supplies.

In addition, BioLabs staff will provide educational programming and operational support, serving as s space for startups and companies to innovate and grow.

Events could include seed-stage investment workshops and investor showcases, as well as seminars covering issues ranging from legal issues to intellectual property concerns.

One recent new resident of the biotech co-working facility, MEND, is developing nutritional interventions to enhance patient outcomes across a range of conditions.

THE LARGER TREND
Beyond incubators, NYU Langone Health has also been developing new methods to better assess the effectiveness of patient-focused programs through the implementation of randomized quality tests.

The goal is to run dozens of such quality improvement projects each year and to ultimately make randomization standard practice for the continual improvement of existing and new programs.

ON THE RECORD
The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who said the initiative to create a life science research cluster in New York City, showed the state’s commitment to scientific and clinical innovation.

“I have no doubt BioLabs@NYULangone will be second to none in innovation, research, academic collaboration, and the commercialization of our life-saving discoveries,” Dafna Bar-Sagi, senior vice president and vice dean for science, and chief scientific officer at NYU Langone, said in a statement.