Senator Marcellino joins Governor Cuomo to Break Ground on $75 Million Cold Spring Harbor Labs Center for Therapeutics Research

Senator Marcellino joined with Governor Cuomo today  to break ground on the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Center for Therapeutics Research project on Long Island. The new $75 million initiative applies the Laboratory's biomedical expertise to advance therapeutics for genetic diseases. CSHL is a world-leader in fundamental biology research with clinical care, and New York's $25 million investment in the new Center for Therapeutics Research will support advancements already underway in breast cancer, leukemia, autism, obesity/diabetes, and lung cancer therapeutics.

"New York is a leader in next generation technology and sciences, and with the ground breaking of the new Center for Therapeutics Research in Cold Spring Harbor, we are supporting developments in research and medicine that will save lives," Governor Cuomo said. "The Center will create new jobs, broaden our understanding of medicine and treatment, and secure Long Island's place as a hub for life science research that will support a stronger, healthier New York for all."

Senator Carl L. Marcellino said, "We couldn't be more proud of the cutting edge research that happens here at Cold Spring Harbor, and New York State's investment in the Center for Therapeutics Research will help the institution reach new heights. New York State is tapping into some of our greatest assets and helping Long Island unlock its full potential. I can't wait to see what more Cold Spring Harbor can achieve for Long Island, for New York, and for the entire world."

The Center for Therapeutics Research on Long Island will be one of the nation's most innovative centers, integrating biology and human genomics with chemistry and protein data. The 26,000-square-foot research facility will be home to 30 new scientific staff and will help retain the jobs of 25 world-class scientists. The renovation project will directly support 99 full-time jobs in construction and related industries on Long Island and indirectly support 58 full-time jobs with other Long Island businesses.

Expected to be completed by the end of 2018, the Center will secure Long Island's place as a global leader in biology, chemistry and medicine to better human health. This transformative project will attract world-leading chemists that will take targets produced from biologists and refine them for next-generation therapies, which will form the basis of new partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry. The ultimate goal of this mission-driven facility is to develop the most advanced drug compounds that are targeted to the underlying biological pathway.

New York's investment of $25 million, which was included in the 2016-17 State Budget, supports the reconstruct and equip the 60-year-old Demerec Lab to house the Center for Therapeutic Research. Funding from the state builds on the Governor's efforts to foster a thriving biotech corridor among major institutions on Long Island, including Stony Brook University, Northwell Health, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Hofstra University, Broad Hollow Bio Science Park, and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

The Center will establish partnerships with academia, private foundations and individuals, as well as apply for competitive grants, for the remaining balance of $50 million required to support recruitment, lab start-up costs, research projects and operations. 

Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a preeminent international research institution, achieving breakthroughs in molecular biology and genetics and enhancing scientific knowledge worldwide. The Meetings & Courses Program hosts more than 12,000 scientists from around the world each year on its campuses in Long Island and in Suzhou, China. The Laboratory's education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a graduate school and programs for middle and high school students and teachers, and invests $150 million of revenue annually in research and education projects on Long Island.