April 13, 2020

Coventry facility scaling up to produce 100,000 bottles per week, including supplies for refilling hospital hallway stations and nursing homes

Coventry, R.I. - What started out as a pilot program in mid-March to support local health care workers, has quickly become one of the area’s largest producers of hand sanitizer, during the COVID-19 crisis.

With a 141,000 square foot facility in Coventry, BioSci Labs facility has transformed its space in recent weeks -- previously used as a collaborative office, lab, manufacturing, and warehouse space for entrepreneurs and start-ups -- to a large-scale hand sanitizer production facility to meet the growing demand of local hospitals, nursing homes, and government agencies.

A million ounces of hand sanitizer have been produced with deliveries made throughout the state to local hospitals, nursing homes, and government agencies. Companies within BioSci Labs have scaled production to include spray bottles and supplies for filling hand sanitizer stations at critical locations like hospital hallways. The collaboration includes the medical device and drug delivery consulting firm Materials Science Associates LLC, chemistry input from Medical Coatings LLC, manufacturing by NE Finest LLC and consulting from Skell Labs LLC. Manufacturing space needs were met by real estate firm, BioSci Coventry LLC, with packaging assistance given by Contech Medical and The Allied Group. Logistic support was provided by BI Medical LLC a company that manufactures hygiene products for amputees and Sani-Wand for treating touch surfaces. Branding and graphic design support was provided by Mint Leaf Media.

“After Governor Raimondo called for local businesses to step-up, we knew we had to find a way to take our industry expertise, facility space, and resources to help our state and region during this crisis,” said Dr. John D. Jarrell, PhD, PE Medical Science and Engineer Expert leading the operations at the BioSci Labs facility. “We began exploring the possibility of producing COVID-19 hand sanitizer on March 12th, and quickly found a successful way to produce and package the product to get into the hands of our frontline government and health care workers as fast as possible.”

BioSci Labs is now producing its emergency hand sanitizer for Rhode Island government agencies and hospitals under the brand Rapid-A, following both WHO and FDA guidance on industry-grade formulas for the COVID-19 response, which are more concentrated than standard hand sanitizers.

These companies recognize a growing shortage for raw materials within every layer of the supply chain throughout the US, including bottles, spray tops and suitable alcohol, but will continue producing and scaling the production of hand sanitizer as long as possible during the COVID-19 crisis.

Scientists at BioSci Labs are now also researching ways to produce other critically needed supplies to further support the local health care industry. For more information contact: info@materialsscience.org or visit www.rapid-a.com

July 05, 2017

BioSci Labs, an incubator for startup companies in science, technology and engineering fields, will hold its first networking event on Tuesday, July 11.

The event, “First Steps to Commercializing Your Invention,” will feature a keynote address by Dr. John Jarrell,  owner of BioSci Labs, which launched in April as the state’s first commercial wet-lab space.

In addition to the four commercial laboratories made available for startups in bioscience fields, the 141,000-square-foot BioSci Labs space, formerly occupied by GTECH, also provides co-working space available for rent at between $149 and $995 per month, depending on whether the space is shared or private.

“Our emphasis here is on taking technologies and creating commercially recognizable products around those technologies, and having a resource where that can happen in Rhode Island,” said Jarrell in an interview with Providence Business News. “There are no commercially available wet-lab spaces in Rhode Island.”

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June 02, 2017

Creating a shared space where companies can make and test new products, with access to affordable, functioning laboratories, was the goal of BioSci Coventry LLC owners John D. Jarrell, Elizabeth Stone and Spike Stone. The business, launched in January, includes the BioSci Labs incubator, which will have four labs for startups, as well as a…

May 26, 2017

John D. Jarrell | Material Science Associates LLC president, BioSci Labs founder For people who dare to make real their dreams and transform them into things visible, the road to success can be long and the costs both figurative and literal. It’s not just time, sweat, blood and tears that entrepreneurs need, but energy and…​

April 24, 2017

 An incubator for startup companies in the science, technology and engineering fields has opened in Coventry, in a manufacturing facility that will provide Rhode Island with much-needed commercial wet lab space. The incubator, called BioSci Labs, is focused on creating a community for med-tech, and will include four commercial laboratories,…