Regenerative Medicine

Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 19:39:41 +0000

Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square admin Wed, 06/18/2025 - 15:39

Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University are taking medical and biomedical research to the next level by moving seven cutting-edge labs into Science Square, the Southeast’s premier life sciences district. This expansion is more than just growth in square footage; it marks a major push to establish Atlanta as a Top 5 technology hub in the U.S.

“Science Square Labs marks a pivotal step forward for Georgia Tech and for Atlanta’s growing life sciences ecosystem. We’re not only accelerating our research and innovation — we’re building powerful momentum across the region,” said Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. “Our labs moving to this space will attract top talent and drive medical innovation. The move sets the stage for transformative discoveries, and we hope others will join us to continue Atlanta’s evolution into a global hub for medical breakthroughs.”

This move comes as Georgia Tech saw a 46% increase in research awards from 2018 to 2024, evidence of the Institute’s fast-growing impact. By adding these labs, Atlanta strengthens its position on the national stage for advanced tech and life sciences innovation.

Why It Matters

Saving lives: From early cancer detection and more innovative immune therapies to healing damaged tissues and managing chronic diseases, the research that will be conducted at Science Square tackles health issues millions face.
Fueling a tech hub: By combining research powerhouses like Georgia Tech and Emory with next-gen laboratory facilities, Atlanta is building the brainpower and resources to compete with national tech centers.
Economic growth: Science Square is helping attract top researchers, startups, and funding — bringing jobs, investment, and opportunities to Georgia. Most recently, Duracell announced they are moving their research and development headquarters to Science Square.

Research for Real Life

The new labs at Science Square will support teams tackling life-changing challenges:

Gabe Kwong, Robert A. Milton Chair, College of Engineering, is developing a two-step cancer defense: tagging tumor cells with a synthetic “flag,” then supercharging T cells (the body’s infection-fighting white blood cells) to track down and destroy them. Early lab tests show the technique works against breast, brain, and colon cancers — and prevents regrowth.
Tara Deans and her team are teaching cells new jobs — when to grow, which type of cell to become, or how to release medicine. Their goal is to design smart cells that can sense what’s happening in the body and act as “living therapies,” delivering treatment exactly where, when, and at the level needed.
Alex Vlahos is developing ways to reprogram cells to understand and treat diseases. His team makes new protein tools that help cells sense their environment, communicate with each other, and respond to problems — repairing tissues, fighting cancer, or calming an overactive immune system.
Ed Botchwey co-directs the Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center, a collaboration between Georgia Tech, Emory University, and the University of Georgia. His team develops advanced biomaterials that work with the body’s immune system, combined with specialized methods, to produce therapeutic cells and their beneficial byproducts. They focus on innovative regenerative treatments for conditions like sickle-cell disease complications, severe muscle injuries, and injuries affecting the mouth, face, and skull.
John Blazeck designs new ways to help the immune system fight disease. His team engineers cells and proteins to better target cancer, improve immune therapies, and develop next-generation treatments.
Corey Wilson, Love Family Professorship, College of Engineering, is building custom-made biological systems from scratch. By mixing protein engineering with genetic tinkering, his team is creating powerful new tools for science and medicine that help us understand how proteins and genes work.
Alyssa Panitch, professor and chair in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, designs innovative materials that help tissues heal better and scar less — whether skin, blood vessels, or even joints. Her team’s biomaterials promote healing on both the inside and outside of cells, guiding the body’s natural repair process.

More About Science Square Labs

Science Square Labs, which opened in 2024, offers more than 368,000 square feet of premium lab and innovation space across 13 floors. Strategically located across from Georgia Tech’s North Avenue Research Area, the building is designed to bring together academic institutions, startups, and industry leaders.

As part of the continued expansion, Georgia Tech announces a major new lease at Science Square. Jon Mayeske of Cushman and Wakefield represented Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures, an affiliate organization of Georgia Tech, which signed a 10-year lease beginning February 15, 2026, for a 36,364 square-foot space on the sixth floor of Science Square Labs. This cutting-edge life sciences facility includes modern lab spaces, offices, and amenity areas designed to foster collaboration among researchers.

Trammell Crow is the master developer of the Science Square District, programmed for over 2.1 million square feet of labs, offices, and residential and retail spaces in multiple phases.

Summary sentence

Georgia Tech and Emory University are advancing Atlanta’s position as a top U.S. tech hub by relocating seven pioneering biomedical research labs to Science Square, a premier life sciences district driving innovation, talent, and economic growth.

Summary

Georgia Tech and Emory University are accelerating Atlanta’s emergence as a national leader in life sciences and technology by relocating seven advanced biomedical research labs to Science Square, a state-of-the-art innovation district.

Dateline

Wed, 06/18/2025 - 12:00

media@gatech.edu

Contact

Siobhan Rodriguez
Senior Media Relations Representative
Institute Communications

Keywords

Georgia Institute of Technology

Emory University

Science Square Labs

Atlanta tech hub

Life sciences innovation

biomedical research

Medical breakthroughs

research and development

Advanced laboratory facilities

Georgia Tech Research

Top 5 technology hub

Southeast life sciences district

Research awards growth

Immune therapies

Cancer detection research

Regenerative Medicine

Synthetic Biology

Smart cells

Protein engineering

Chronic disease management

Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures

Economic development Georgia

Tech talent attraction

innovation ecosystem

Startup incubation

public-private partnerships

research commercialization

Lab space expansion

go-researchnews

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Campus and Community

Health and Medicine

Science and Technology

Categories

City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth

Economic Development and Policy

Institute and Campus

Mercury ID

682819

Source updated

Wed, 06/18/2025 - 15:38

Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:55:40 +0000

Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square admin Wed, 06/18/2025 - 13:55

ATLANTA, GA – June 2025 – Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University are taking medical and biomedical research to the next level by moving seven cutting-edge labs into Science Square, the Southeast’s premier life sciences district. This expansion is more than just growth in square footage; it marks a major push to establish Atlanta as a Top 5 technology hub in the U.S.

“Every new lab, every partnership, brings Atlanta one step closer to being one of the nation’s top tech hubs,” said Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “This investment signals to the world that Georgia is serious about innovation. Strong research attracts talent and companies — and delivers breakthroughs that improve lives right here in our backyard.”

Why It Matters

Saving lives: From early cancer detection and more innovative immune therapies to healing damaged tissues and managing chronic diseases, the research that will be conducted at Science Square tackles health issues millions face.

Fueling a tech hub: By combining research powerhouses like Georgia Tech and Emory with next-gen laboratory facilities, Atlanta is building the brainpower and resources to compete with national tech centers.

Economic growth: Science Square is helping attract top researchers, startups, and funding — bringing jobs, investment, and opportunities to Georgia. Most recently, Duracell announced they are moving their research and development headquarters to Science Square.

Research for Real Life

The new labs at Science Square will support teams tackling life-changing challenges:

Gabe Kwong, Robert A. Milton Chair, College of Engineering, is developing a two-step cancer defense: tagging tumor cells with a synthetic “flag,” then supercharging T cells (the body’s infection-fighting white blood cells) to track down and destroy them. Early lab tests show the technique works against breast, brain, and colon cancers — and prevents regrowth.

Tara Deans and her team are teaching cells new jobs — when to grow, which type of cell to become, or how to release medicine. Their goal is to design smart cells that can sense what’s happening in the body and act as “living therapies,” delivering treatment exactly where, when, and at the level needed.

Alex Vlahos is developing ways to reprogram cells to understand and treat diseases. His team makes new protein tools that help cells sense their environment, communicate with each other, and respond to problems — repairing tissues, fighting cancer, or calming an overactive immune system.

Ed Botchwey co-directs the Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center, a collaboration between Georgia Tech, Emory University, and the University of Georgia. His team develops advanced biomaterials that work with the body’s immune system, combined with specialized methods, to produce therapeutic cells and their beneficial byproducts. They focus on innovative regenerative treatments for conditions like sickle-cell disease complications, severe muscle injuries, and injuries affecting the mouth, face, and skull.

John Blazeck designs new ways to help the immune system fight disease. His team engineers cells and proteins to better target cancer, improve immune therapies, and develop next-generation treatments.

Corey Wilson, Love Family Professorship, College of Engineering, is building custom-made biological systems from scratch. By mixing protein engineering with genetic tinkering, his team is creating powerful new tools for science and medicine that help us understand how proteins and genes work.

Alyssa Panitch, Wallace H. Coulter Department Chair, College of Engineering, designs innovative materials that help tissues heal better and scar less — whether skin, blood vessels, or even joints. Her team’s biomaterials promote healing on both the inside and outside of cells, guiding the body’s natural repair process.

More About Science Square Labs

Trammell Crow is the master developer of the Science Square District, programmed for over 2.1 million square feet of labs, offices, and residential and retail spaces in multiple phases.

Summary sentence

Summary

Dateline

Wed, 06/18/2025 - 12:00

media@gatech.edu

Contact

Siobhan Rodriguez
Senior Media Relations Representative
Institute Communications

Keywords

Georgia Institute of Technology

Science Square Labs

Atlanta tech hub

Life sciences innovation

biomedical research

Medical breakthroughs

research and development

Advanced laboratory facilities

Georgia Tech Research

Top 5 technology hub

Southeast life sciences district

Research awards growth

Immune therapies

Cancer detection research

Regenerative Medicine

Synthetic Biology

Smart cells

Protein engineering

Chronic disease management

research commercialization

Lab space expansion

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Campus and Community

Health and Medicine

Science and Technology

Categories

Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics

City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth

Institute and Campus

Life Sciences and Biology

Mercury ID

682818

Source updated

Wed, 06/18/2025 - 13:54

Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square

admin — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:34:41 +0000

Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square admin Wed, 06/18/2025 - 13:34

Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University are taking medical and biomedical research to the next level by moving seven cutting-edge labs into Science Square, the Southeast’s premier life sciences district. This expansion is more than just growth in square footage; it marks a major push to establish Atlanta as a Top 5 technology hub in the U.S.

Why It Matters

Saving lives: From early cancer detection and more innovative immune therapies to healing damaged tissues and managing chronic diseases, the research that will be conducted at Science Square tackles health issues millions face.

Fueling a tech hub: By combining research powerhouses like Georgia Tech and Emory with next-gen laboratory facilities, Atlanta is building the brainpower and resources to compete with national tech centers.

Economic growth: Science Square is helping attract top researchers, startups, and funding — bringing jobs, investment, and opportunities to Georgia. Most recently, Duracell announced they are moving their research and development headquarters to Science Square.

Research for Real Life

The new labs at Science Square will support teams tackling life-changing challenges:

Gabe Kwong, Robert A. Milton Chair, College of Engineering, is developing a two-step cancer defense: tagging tumor cells with a synthetic “flag,” then supercharging T cells (the body’s infection-fighting white blood cells) to track down and destroy them. Early lab tests show the technique works against breast, brain, and colon cancers — and prevents regrowth.

Tara Deans and her team are teaching cells new jobs — when to grow, which type of cell to become, or how to release medicine. Their goal is to design smart cells that can sense what’s happening in the body and act as “living therapies,” delivering treatment exactly where, when, and at the level needed.

Alex Vlahos is developing ways to reprogram cells to understand and treat diseases. His team makes new protein tools that help cells sense their environment, communicate with each other, and respond to problems — repairing tissues, fighting cancer, or calming an overactive immune system.

Ed Botchwey co-directs the Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center, a collaboration between Georgia Tech, Emory University, and the University of Georgia. His team develops advanced biomaterials that work with the body’s immune system, combined with specialized methods, to produce therapeutic cells and their beneficial byproducts. They focus on innovative regenerative treatments for conditions like sickle-cell disease complications, severe muscle injuries, and injuries affecting the mouth, face, and skull.

John Blazeck designs new ways to help the immune system fight disease. His team engineers cells and proteins to better target cancer, improve immune therapies, and develop next-generation treatments.

Corey Wilson, Love Family Professorship, College of Engineering, is building custom-made biological systems from scratch. By mixing protein engineering with genetic tinkering, his team is creating powerful new tools for science and medicine that help us understand how proteins and genes work.

Alyssa Panitch, Wallace H. Coulter Department Chair, College of Engineering, designs innovative materials that help tissues heal better and scar less — whether skin, blood vessels, or even joints. Her team’s biomaterials promote healing on both the inside and outside of cells, guiding the body’s natural repair process.

More About Science Square Labs

Trammell Crow is the master developer of the Science Square District, programmed for over 2.1 million square feet of labs, offices, and residential and retail spaces in multiple phases.

Summary sentence

Summary

Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University are taking medical and biomedical research to the next level by moving seven cutting-edge labs into Science Square, the Southeast’s premier life sciences district. This expansion is more than just growth in square footage; it marks a major push to establish Atlanta as a Top 5 technology hub in the U.S.

Dateline

Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:00

media@gatech.edu

Contact

Siobhan Rodriguez
Senior Media Relations Representative
Institute Communications

Keywords

Georgia Institute of Technology

Emory University

Science Square Labs

Atlanta tech hub

Life sciences innovation

biomedical research

Medical breakthroughs

research and development

Advanced laboratory facilities

Georgia Tech Research

Top 5 technology hub

Southeast life sciences district

Research awards growth

Immune therapies

Cancer detection research

Regenerative Medicine

Synthetic Biology

Smart cells

Protein engineering

Chronic disease management

Ángel Cabrera

Pat Wilson

Gabe Kwong

Tara Deans

Alex Vlahos

Ed Botchwey

John Blazeck

Corey Wilson

Alyssa Panitch

Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures

Economic development Georgia

Tech talent attraction

innovation ecosystem

Startup incubation

public-private partnerships

Cushman and Wakefield

Trammell Crow

Duracell R&D headquarters

research commercialization

Lab space expansion

News room topics

Business and Economic Development

Campus and Community

Health and Medicine

Science and Technology

Categories

City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth

Institute and Campus

Mercury ID

682817

Source updated

Wed, 06/18/2025 - 13:33

Two-Way Cell-based Treatment Repairs Muscle After Rotator Cuff Injury

admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:57:41 +0000

Two-Way Cell-based Treatment Repairs Muscle After Rotator Cuff Injury admin Tue, 03/26/2024 - 13:57

A team of Georgia Tech researchers has introduced a new therapeutic system to offset the poor clinical outcomes often associated with common rotator cuff surgery.

It’s the kind of surgery that makes headlines whenever a famous athlete is sidelined with a torn rotator cuff. Major League Baseball All-Star pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander, for example, both had rotator cuff surgeries and made successful comebacks.

For those of us who can’t throw baseballs 95 miles an hour, the rotator cuff may tear over time from repeated overhead motions (painters and carpenters, for instance). Or an injury can occur as we age and our body’s tissues naturally degenerate. And although rotator cuff injuries are common, they can be serious, leading to muscle degeneration after surgery.

Now, two professors from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, a joint department of Georgia Tech and Emory University, have addressed the problem with a novel cell-based dual treatment, which they describe in a study published recently in the journal Tissue Engineering.

“We’re thinking mainly of an aging population with this study — the people most likely to have these injuries,” said Johnna Temenoff, whose research group collaborated with the lab of Ed Botchwey on this work. “The great thing about this system is, it isn’t specific to a particular population. These are cells we all have, and this treatment system might work even better in younger patients.”

Local Delivery

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons surrounding and protecting the shoulder joint, keeping the head of the upper arm bone firmly in the shallow socket of the shoulder. It’s tight jumble of tissues, and not an easy environment for muscle regeneration.

“With a rotator cuff injury, you’re actually tearing the tendon,” said Temenoff, director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT) at Georgia Tech. “And that causes the muscle to atrophy.”

While pro athletes have access to world-class training and rehabilitation to help rebuild the shoulder following surgery, for many patients that rotator cuff muscle doesn’t fully regenerate, even after a successful surgery. Temenoff isn’t sure why.

“That’s a big unknown,” she said. “And it’s a big field of study right now, an active area of research. There is a need for regenerative therapies that can be used in conjunction with rotator cuff restoration surgery, as a long-term treatment option —that is what we are addressing.”

In previous studies using mouse models, Temenoff found that she could change the cellular environment in the muscle with the local injection of microparticles loaded with a protein called stromal cell-derived factor (SDF), which can attract various pre-regenerative cells circulating to the muscle.

The Push-Pull Effect

The idea is to mobilize the cells that can heal, the cells that rebuild muscle at the source. Getting enough of them to do the work is the trick.

Temenoff’s lab has developed microparticles that use heparin, a natural sugar-based molecule found in the body that has a high negative charge. SDF is positive-charged, so that electrostatic interaction between the two particles allows for controlled release of SDF over time.

SDF interacts almost magnetically with a receptor on pro-regenerative cells in bone marrow or circulation to “call” them to a certain location. However, older people may not have enough of these cells in circulation to make much of a difference in healing. That’s where Botchwey’s lab entered with the major assist.

His team provided experience with a bone marrow mobilizing agent (called VPC01091) that can send healing cells into circulation around the body. In clinical settings, bone marrow mobilizing agents are used to “push” stem cells out of the marrow and into the blood. These cells can regenerate and differentiate into all kinds of cells in multiple tissue environments.

The researchers set out to develop a single therapeutic option by combining the two technologies. Here's what happened when they tested the system in rats: The mobilizing agent was injected systemically while the SDF was injected locally into the shoulder. So, while the mobilizing agent “pushed” pro-healing cells into circulation, SDF’s magnetic effect “pulled” them to the injury site, resulting in the desired regenerative effects.

The researchers found different levels of regeneration spatially—in other words, where they applied the local injection really matters. Further research will aim to fine-tune the process, so clinicians can recruit healing cells to even more specific areas of the damaged muscle. Temenoff and her collaborators believe they are onto something that will result in better muscle regeneration, with potential applications beyond the rotator cuff.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant no. R01AR071026).

CITATION: Leah Anderson, Liane Tellier, Keshav Shah, Joseph Pearson, Alexandra Brimeyer, Ed Botchwey, Johnna Temenoff. “Bone Marrow Mobilization and Local Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1a Delivery Enhances Nascent Supraspinatus Muscle Fiber Growth,” Tissue Engineering.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/ten.tea.2023.0128

Summary sentence

New treatment helps muscle regenerate following shoulder surgery

Summary

New treatment developed by BME researchers Johnna Temenoff and Ed Botchwey rallies regenerative cells to heal damaged muscle following rotator cuff injury and surgery.

Dateline

Tue, 03/26/2024 - 12:00

jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu

Contact

Jerry Grillo

Associated importer

Keywords

go-bio

go-researchnews

cell therapy

Regenerative Medicine

go-cmat

CMaT

rotator cuff

News room topics

Health and Medicine

Science and Technology

Categories

Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics

Engineering

Life Sciences and Biology

Research

Mercury ID

673759

Source updated

Tue, 03/26/2024 - 13:56

Regenerative Medicine

Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square

Why It Matters

Research for Real Life

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Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square

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Georgia Tech, Emory Expand Research at Science Square

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Two-Way Cell-based Treatment Repairs Muscle After Rotator Cuff Injury

Local Delivery

The Push-Pull Effect

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