UMass Amherst Receives More Than $2.1 Million in Grants from MLSC

AMHERST — The Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) at UMass Amherst has received two grants totaling more than $2.1 million from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) to acquire an advanced optical tweezers system that will be the first publicly available instrument of its kind in Massachusetts. Grant funds will also be used to establish a core set of micro-patterning equipment.

Together, the awards will expand the research, training, and industry collaboration capabilities of the university’s Centralized Core Facilities while strengthening life sciences innovation across Western Mass. The investments are part of more than $19.7 million in funding supporting 23 projects announced by MLSC.

IALS and its 30 open-access core facilities have supported more than 80 startup companies and pre-startups and provided more than $4.5 million in translational seed awards to address unmet individual and societal needs.

“These MLSC awards enable the important role that shared research infrastructure plays in driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development,” said Peter Reinhart, founding director of IALS. “These investments will deepen industry engagement, expand workforce training opportunities, and further strengthen Massachusetts’ leadership in the global life sciences sector.”

A $1,629,970 award through MLSC’s Research Infrastructure Program will support the acquisition of one of the world’s most sophisticated optical tweezers systems and associated components for the IALS Light Microscopy Facility. The technology allows scientists to measure and visualize the tiny forces that power living cells, which are responsible for everything from DNA replication to the heart’s pumping action.

“This powerful tool will enable academic scientists and biotech industry partners to develop the next generation of drugs to treat myriad diseases, including heart failure and cancer,” said Ned Debold, professor of Kinesiology at UMass Amherst.

A $497,230 award through MLSC’s Research Equipment Program will establish a new suite of micro-patterning equipment within the IALS Nanofabrication Cleanroom. The equipment will support the development of technologies including organ-on-a-chip disease models, micro- and nanorobots for targeted drug and cell delivery, miniaturized ultrasound devices, and magnetically guided tools for minimally invasive procedures.

“This new micro-patterning system fills a critical infrastructure gap for life science and biomedical research in Western Massachusetts,” said Hongsoo Choi, professor of Biomedical Engineering at UMass Amherst. “By housing this capability within the Institute for Applied Life Sciences’ cleanroom, we’re opening the door for collaborators across campus and throughout the region to bring biomedical innovations from concept to reality faster than ever before.”

Together, the new equipment will expand opportunities for life sciences research across disciplines, strengthen partnerships with Massachusetts biotechnology companies and startups, and provide students with hands-on training using advanced research infrastructure. The instruments are expected to be installed and ready for use by mid-2027.