Chan Zuckerberg Initiative launches Chicago Biohub, where researchers will study inflammation, disease
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Thursday marked the launch of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago – a $250 million lab that is bringing together researchers from the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, and Northwestern University.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined leaders from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network, and local officials for the launch of the new biomedical research hub, located in the Fulton Labs biotech and life sciences building at 400 N. Aberdeen St. – where researchers will study human tissue and inflammation with the goal of creating groundbreaking therapeutics.
"The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has recognized what we've been promoting and demonstrating to investors and businesses across the globe — when it comes to cutting edge development and research, there's no better place to build a top-tier workforce and develop cutting-edge technologies than Illinois and Chicago," Pritzker said in a news release. "The CZ Biohub Chicago will be an industry - leading scientific research center in the heart of Fulton Market with the support of our local university and workforce talent, and I cannot wait to see what sort of groundbreaking advances in biomedical research will result from this endeavor."
"The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has recognized what we've been promoting and demonstrating to investors and businesses across the globe—when it comes to cutting edge development and research, there's no better place to build a top-tier workforce and develop cutting-edge technologies than Illinois and Chicago," said Governor JB Pritzker. "The CZ Biohub Chicago will be an industry-leading scientific research center in the heart of Fulton Market with the support of our local university and workforce talent, and I cannot wait to see what sort of groundbreaking advances in biomedical research will result from this endeavor."
As CBS 2 reported in March, the mission for researchers at the new Chicago Biohub is to create new technology to study human tissue in new ways – with the goal of understanding human health and fighting disease.
The Biohub will specialize in engineering technologies to measure biological processes in human tissues at the molecular level – so as to understand and treat more effectively the inflammatory states that underlie many diseases, according to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The Biohub will use the measurement to learn how immune cells can malfunction, causing disease.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative notes that inflammation and overactive immune cells play a major role in many diseases – including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease – and are also involved in organ failure and severe infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
"I'm energized being here in Chicago and hearing directly from researchers about the transformative technology they're building to measure human biology and bring us closer to understanding and preventing disease," Chan Zuckerberg Initiative co-founder and co-chief executive officer Priscilla Chan said in the release. "The Chicago Biohub and their work studying inflammation at the cellular level has the potential to fundamentally change our understanding of human health."
Northwestern professor Dr. Shana O. Kelley is the leader of the Chicago Biohub – which is the first expansion of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub network. The first Chan Zuckerberg Biohub was launched in San Francisco in 2016.