Cape & Islands News

MBL receives $15M grant for life sciences

State adds $10 million to Howard Hughes grant
Funding will renovate Loeb Laboratory

The Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole has received $15 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to fund top-to-bottom renovations to the MBL's Loeb Laboratory, the cornerstone of its world-famous life science training programs.

The private grant then was leveraged through a $10 million commitment of state funds contained in the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) Board of Directors approved the grant for infrastructure improvements at MBL.

The three-story Loeb Laboratory houses the MBL's intensive, full-immersion graduate and postdoctoral-level laboratory courses. The laboratory's renovation will cost more than $25 million.

"Faculty and students come to the MBL not to do exercises, but to do original, cutting-edge research," said Gary Borisy, director and chief executive officer of MBL, said in a statement. "We are deeply grateful to HHMI for this award, which recognizes the importance of our discovery-based education programs to the past and future of biology, biomedicine, and the life sciences."

Jack E. Dixon, vice president and chief scientific officer at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, said in a statement: "The Marine Biological Laboratory has been training leading scientists through a number of truly extraordinary summer courses, some of which have been offered for more than a century.

"Many of our HHMI investigators, students and postdoctoral fellows have taken - and some have even taught - these courses," Dixon said. "HHMI is pleased to support such a thriving and long-running research training program."

The cost of the renovation will total more than $25 million. The $15 million HHMI grant is complemented by a $10 million authorization for infrastructure improvements at the MBL which is included in the $1 billion Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick on June 16. When released by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Board of Directors, the MBL will apply the funds to the Loeb Laboratory renovation.

"The Life Sciences Act was designed to both create jobs, and support life-saving research, and I am delighted to see part of this important funding put to use with the vital research being done at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole," Gov. Deval Patrick said. "This is a terrific example of leveraging private investment in economic development through the targeted use of public resources."

Senate President Therese Murray of Plymouth said: "In the area of life sciences, Massachusetts and the Marine Biological Laboratory are known for cutting edge research and educational opportunities. It is critical that we have the facilities to match that reputation... This grant proves that small investments by the Commonwealth can reap great benefits."

MBL is known as a premier training ground for tomorrow's leaders in the biological, biomedical, and environmental sciences. Each year the MBL trains more than 450 students, including 200 international students, as part of its education programs, which include more than 20 graduate and post-graduate laboratory courses. MBL alumni and faculty rank among the most innovative and successful scientists in the world.

Loeb Laboratory was built in 1970 and is named after Jacques Loeb, a prominent physiologist in the early 20th century and founder of the MBL's physiology course. In addition to Physiology, Loeb Laboratory is home to the MBL's embryology, neurobiology, frontiers in reproduction, and frontiers in human embryonic stem cells training courses, among others.