易胜博官网

Leadership from Lonza Biologics, Inc. visited the tissue culture lab in 易胜博官网鈥檚 Spaulding Hall March 24 to celebrate a growing collaboration between the university and Lonza, one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world.

The tissue culture lab is currently being utilized by teams of students from 易胜博官网鈥檚 College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) who are working on research projects with Lonza scientists that are designed to address biomanufacturing challenges. Lonza鈥檚 Portsmouth, 易胜博官网 site helped outfit the lab, donating an array of lab supplies and equipment.

The visit comes on the heels of the recently announced Lonza Scholars program, which begins in 2025 and was designed to enhance educational and career opportunities in the life sciences industry for select 易胜博官网 students.

易胜博官网 President Elizabeth Chilton was on hand to welcome Lonza leadership to Spaulding Hall, celebrating the expanding collaboration with the company and the impact it could have on 易胜博官网 students and workforce development in the state.

鈥淐ollaborations like this are vital to providing the engaging, hands-on learning opportunities that are a hallmark of the 易胜博官网 undergraduate student experience,鈥� Chilton said in her remarks to attendees. 鈥淭he partnership between 易胜博官网 and Lonza has a lasting impact on our campus and the future paths of our students."

At the start of the spring 2025 semester, COLSA students began working on several independent research projects under the guidance of 易胜博官网 faculty co-mentors and scientists at Lonza Biologics. These projects focus on improving processes and workflows at different stages in the manufacture of biologics 鈥� a class of medicines produced by living organisms.

鈥淟onza handles technical challenges, in terms of optimizing the growth of cells or the purification of proteins, that are suitable for students to work on 鈥� and [the partnership] gives the students a real problem to solve,鈥� says Rick Cote, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and the director of 易胜博官网鈥檚 Center of Integrated Biomedical and Bioengineering Research. 鈥淭his is something students will be able to put on their resumes when they graduate 鈥� they鈥檒l have the experience to say they were involved in process improvement in a manufacturing environment.鈥�

The projects will allow the college to accommodate more students who want to be engaged in applied research and provide them with a better understanding of industrial research and process development. They could also lead to summer internships at Lonza for the students involved.

Over the years, many COLSA graduates have found employment with Lonza, and the company has offered internships for students and research collaborations with faculty. Lonza has also made generous donations to COLSA, including bioreactors, centrifuges, water baths, balances and other lab equipment, as well as glassware and a variety of laboratory supplies.

The Lonza Scholars program, beginning in 2025, will award an annual scholarship to four exceptional incoming first-year students, supporting the students for the four-year duration of their bachelor鈥檚 programs, subject to academic performance requirements. Additional students will be admitted to the program each year until 2028, with the initiative supporting 16 active scholars at its peak.

The program will be open to incoming 易胜博官网 first-year students demonstrating academic excellence who plan to major in biology, biochemistry or bioengineering, with a preference for New England applicants.

鈥淭his collaboration with 易胜博官网 underscores Lonza鈥檚 commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders and fostering academic excellence in life sciences,鈥� Christophe Royer, site head at Lonza鈥檚 Portsmouth facility, said in announcing the Lonza Scholars program in February 2025. 鈥淚t is exciting to think about the opportunities the Lonza Scholars Program will bring for participating students, and we look forward to supporting their development through this important initiative.鈥�