Georgia Institute of Know-how and Emory College are taking medical and biomedical analysis to the subsequent degree by transferring seven cutting-edge labs into Science Square, the Southeast’s premier life sciences district. This growth is extra than simply development in sq. footage; it marks a significant push to ascertain Atlanta as a High 5 know-how hub within the U.S.
“Science Sq. Labs marks a pivotal step ahead for Georgia Tech and for Atlanta’s rising life sciences ecosystem. We’re not solely accelerating our analysis and innovation — we’re constructing highly effective momentum throughout the area,” stated Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. “Our labs transferring to this house will entice high expertise and drive medical innovation. The transfer units the stage for transformative discoveries, and we hope others will be part of us to proceed Atlanta’s evolution into a world hub for medical breakthroughs.”
This transfer comes as Georgia Tech noticed a 46% improve in analysis awards from 2018 to 2024, proof of the Institute’s fast-growing affect. By including these labs, Atlanta strengthens its place on the nationwide stage for superior tech and life sciences innovation.
Why It Issues
- Saving lives: From early most cancers detection and extra modern immune therapies to therapeutic broken tissues and managing continual ailments, the analysis that might be performed at Science Sq. tackles well being points hundreds of thousands face.
- Fueling a tech hub: By combining analysis powerhouses like Georgia Tech and Emory with next-gen laboratory services, Atlanta is constructing the brainpower and sources to compete with nationwide tech facilities.
- Financial development: Science Sq. helps entice high researchers, startups, and funding — bringing jobs, funding, and alternatives to Georgia. Most just lately, Duracell introduced they’re transferring their analysis and improvement headquarters to Science Sq..
Analysis for Actual Life
The brand new labs at Science Sq. will assist groups tackling life-changing challenges:
- Gabe Kwong, Robert A. Milton Chair, School of Engineering, is growing a two-step most cancers protection: tagging tumor cells with an artificial “flag,” then supercharging T cells (the physique’s infection-fighting white blood cells) to trace down and destroy them. Early lab checks present the method works in opposition to breast, mind, and colon cancers — and prevents regrowth.
- Tara Deans and her group are instructing cells new jobs — when to develop, which sort of cell to change into, or find out how to launch medication. Their purpose is to design sensible cells that may sense what’s occurring within the physique and act as “residing therapies,” delivering therapy precisely the place, when, and on the degree wanted.
- Alex Vlahos is growing methods to reprogram cells to know and deal with ailments. His group makes new protein instruments that assist cells sense their surroundings, talk with one another, and reply to issues — repairing tissues, preventing most cancers, or calming an overactive immune system.
- Ed Botchwey co-directs the Regenerative Engineering and Drugs Heart, a collaboration between Georgia Tech, Emory College, and the College of Georgia. His group develops superior biomaterials that work with the physique’s immune system, mixed with specialised strategies, to supply therapeutic cells and their helpful byproducts. They deal with modern regenerative therapies for situations like sickle-cell illness problems, extreme muscle accidents, and accidents affecting the mouth, face, and cranium.
- John Blazeck designs new methods to assist the immune system battle illness. His group engineers cells and proteins to raised goal most cancers, enhance immune therapies, and develop next-generation therapies.
- Corey Wilson, Love Household Professorship, School of Engineering, is constructing custom-made organic programs from scratch. By mixing protein engineering with genetic tinkering, his group is creating highly effective new instruments for science and medication that assist us perceive how proteins and genes work.
- Alyssa Panitch, professor and chair within the Wallace H. Coulter Division of Biomedical Engineering, designs modern supplies that assist tissues heal higher and scar much less — whether or not pores and skin, blood vessels, and even joints. Her group’s biomaterials promote therapeutic on each the within and out of doors of cells, guiding the physique’s pure restore course of.
Extra About Science Sq. Labs
Science Square Labs, which opened in 2024, provides greater than 368,000 sq. ft of premium lab and innovation house throughout 13 flooring. Strategically positioned throughout from Georgia Tech’s North Avenue Analysis Space, the constructing is designed to carry collectively educational establishments, startups, and business leaders.
As a part of the continued growth, Georgia Tech publicizes a significant new lease at Science Sq.. Jon Mayeske of Cushman and Wakefield represented Georgia Superior Know-how Ventures, an affiliate group of Georgia Tech, which signed a 10-year lease starting February 15, 2026, for a 36,364 square-foot house on the sixth flooring of Science Sq. Labs. This cutting-edge life sciences facility consists of trendy lab areas, workplaces, and amenity areas designed to foster collaboration amongst researchers.
Trammell Crow is the grasp developer of the Science Sq. District, programmed for over 2.1 million sq. ft of labs, workplaces, and residential and retail areas in a number of phases.
