Burlington, Massachusetts is a hub of innovation including extensive business growth in the fields of science, technology and healthcare. The Town is known for being a vibrant environment for scientific advancements and technological discoveries as well as a place where research institutions, universities and tech companies can work in collaboration. This includes one of Burlington’s newest organizations – the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
In September, the Broad Institute, a nonprofit academic research center based in Cambridge, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of their latest location at 27 Blue Sky Drive in Burlington. Join us in welcoming the Broad Institute as this month’s Burlington Business Spotlight.
A Little Background on the Broad Institute
Founded in 2004 by Eli and Edythe L. Broad, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has become one of the largest life-science communities in Massachusetts. In collaboration with MIT, Harvard, Harvard’s teaching hospitals, and a community of more than 6,000 members, including scientists, engineers and administrative staff, the Institute aims to “understand the roots of disease and narrow the gap between new biological insights and impact for patients” according to their mission statement.
The Broad Institute has been at the forefront of genomic research for the past several decades. Broad scientists helped create and lead the Human Genome Project and the Cancer Genome Atlas which are landmark projects that have led to the understanding and treatment of complex medical conditions.
The Broad Institute focuses on the study of cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases, conditions that affect mental health and more. Their researchers study both rare genetic disorders that impact only a handful of people in the world as well as more common diseases such as heart or kidney disease that impact millions around the globe.
This community of scientific and academic investigators constantly asks “How can we do science better?” and “How can we learn to benefit patients more?” Ultimately, Broadies hope to bridge the gap between academic investigators and scientific professionals to take cutting-edge genomics and improve human health in a meaningful and powerful way.
Expanding Genomic Sequencing Center to Burlington
The Broad Institute is located in the Kendall Square section of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but just this last September they expanded into Burlington. The facility will be the new home of Broad Clinical Labs and Broad’s genomic sequencing center, where researchers will operate advanced genetic sequencing machines 24 hours a day, seven days a week — becoming one of the largest human health data-generation centers in the world. The Broad, in collaboration with five of the world’s leading hospitals, two leading academic institutions and research scientists, securely makes this data available for researchers worldwide so scientists can tackle the world’s biggest questions about the treatment and prevention of human diseases.
The Burlington campus of the Broad Institute will employ approximately 250 full-time team members, expanding their capabilities and allowing them to continue delivering vital genomic data that empowers researchers globally.
Bring Me To Burlington and the Burlington Office of Economic Development are excited to welcome this vital scientific community to our neighborhood.