Force Multiplier for Science 

LabCentral’s The Dish with Johannes series dishes up candid conversations with biotech’s brightest minds, offering an inside look at the discoveries shaping the future. Hosted by LabCentral President & Co-founder Johannes Fruehauf, MD, PhD, the series spotlights pioneers from the LabCentral network driving scientific and business innovation.

For this special live episode, we welcomed Dr. George Church, a genomic trailblazer who has co-founded over 50 startups—including more than 15 at LabCentral. The discussion explored his groundbreaking work, from developing the first direct genomic sequencing method to de-extinction efforts at Colossal Biosciences, where he’s working to revive species like the woolly mammoth.

Church also tackled topics like demystifying GMOs, the ethics of biotech, and the entrepreneurial mindset behind his many ventures.

Named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2017, Church continues to push the boundaries of synthetic biology. The Dish LIVE offered attendees a rare opportunity to hear from a true visionary—leaving them inspired to take on biotech’s next big challenges.

LabCentral’s Core Facilities Program connects residents to specialized equipment and expertise across a prestigious network of institutions. While our in-house capabilities are extensive, this program ensures that even the most complex research needs are met—without the overhead of independent access. From advanced imaging to high-throughput screening, we make it seamless for startups to tap into the right tools at the right time. 

We clear a path by: 

• Guiding residents through the access processes
• Facilitating direct connections to expert contacts
• Managing transactions through the Stork, LabCentral’s proprietary purchasing system, consolidating billing and invoices
• Fostering peer connections with residents who have previously used these facilities 

Our extensive equipment portfolio—over 5,000 cutting-edge instruments across all sites—ensures that our resident scientists have access to the best new technology that would otherwise be out of reach for most early-stage startups. In 2024 alone, resident scientists made 25,056 equipment reservations, logging an astounding 81,273 hours of use—accelerating breakthroughs that might not have been possible elsewhere. That’s nearly a decade of non-stop innovation happening across our labs in one year.

In 2024, Triumvirate Environmental renewed and expanded their partnership with us, reinforcing a shared commitment to sustainable lab practices. Through this collaboration, we continue to recycle biological and sharps waste, organic solvents, and universal waste, while also participating in the Red2Green program, which transforms lab waste into high-quality plastic lumber.