A new lab in Innovation Quarter will help solidify Winston-Salem as a hub for regenerative medicine. It's called the RegeneratOR Test Bed and is a collaborative initiative.
The lab will provide access to biomanufacturing equipment, industry expertise, and talent. The two main groups behind the lab are the RegenMed Development Organization and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
The goal is to accelerate the growth of start-ups as well as mid-to-large-sized companies working in a range of technologies.
Dr. Anthony Atala is the director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. At a launch earlier this week, he said the lab has been in the works for over two years.
"We are bringing all these industry members here as our partners in a dedicated space that will allow companies, startups to use this space to create their future prototypes," he said. "These are millions and millions of dollars of equipment that are available free of charge to our startups, emerging companies, and established companies looking for new therapies.”
Atala says this will help not only in innovation but in manufacturing procedures. The test bed will operate alongside a regenerative medicine business incubator and workforce development program.