Report from Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
Scientists work to address the pandemic
To address the most pressing challenges of the pandemic, the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR), a multi-institutional initiative convened by Harvard Medical School to combat the disease and prepare for future outbreaks, is announcing over $16.5 million in funding to support 62 high-impact research projects.
Recognizing MassCPR’s ability to bring together leading scientists and researchers from across the Commonwealth to respond to the pandemic, MLSC is partnering in this effort and will be providing up to $2.3 million to support nine collaborative projects through the consortium
MetroWest Manufacturer Pivoting to Support COVID-19 Research
Governor Baker and Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka toured MatTek Life Sciences, a current participant in the Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (M-ERT). The company, located in Ashland, Mass., is transitioning from the manufacture of cell culture media to the production of viral transport media.
Boasting a highly trained scientific staff, expertise in cell culture and building human tissues, and existing relationships with government agencies and the FDA, MatTek is positioned to shift its operations to support the Commonwealth’s response to COVID-19.
M-ERT continues to assist local manufacturers in pivoting operations to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical items needed to support the Commonwealth’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The MLSC is proud to be part of such a rich life sciences ecosystem that can immediately mobilize and work together to tackle these types of public health challenges, benefiting not only our region but also the world.
While our physical office remains closed, MLSC staff are available, working offsite, collectively fulfilling our mission. This includes administering our ongoing programming, including our Internship Challenge and Seed Fund, and providing proper stewardship of a diverse combination of grants, loans, capital infrastructure investments, tax incentives, and workforce programs.
This past week, the Baker-Polito Administration announced expanded COVID-19 testing capacity and strategy. By building capacity, the Commonwealth has laid groundwork for the future of testing with a plan that calls for:
- Boosting capacity to 45,000 daily tests by July
- Focusing on hotspots + areas with low availability
- Improving turnaround time
- Randomized testing for surveillance
The administration announced a four-phase approach to reopening the Massachusetts economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and published Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards that will apply across all sectors and industries once reopening begins. The goal of the phased reopening, based on public health guidance, is to methodically allow certain businesses, services, and activities to resume, while protecting public health and limiting a resurgence of new COVID-19 cases.
