University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Breaks Ground on Biomanufacturing Facility

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth broke ground on the Massachusetts Accelerator for Biomanufacturing (MAB) in Fall River in May of 2012. Upon completion in fall of 2013, the MAB will be the only facility in the United States where startups will be able to test their biomanufacturing methods and bioproducts at every stage of development and access full-service support from business and marketing to science support. The $28 million project is designed to serve researchers and entrepreneurs as they scale up products and methods that will reshape the fields of biotherapeutics, biomedicine, and green chemistry. The cGMP facility will enable the development of antibodies to fight disease, the generation of new tissue from stem cells, and the creation of biofuels. The 35,000-sf building will provide 25,000 sf of production and support space and will include an R&D suite, quality control labs, a training center, lecture halls, offices, and four production suites.