Innovation Quarter celebrates expansion of Sparq Labs with BioSpherix’s new facility

The Innovation Quarter celebrated the opening of its expanded Sparq Labs facility at One Technology Place in Winston-Salem, anchored by BioSpherix, LLC, and the opening of its new Center for Cytocentric Technology (CCT). 

The facility expansion strengthens the Innovation Quarter’s biomedical research capabilities, supporting the translation of regenerative medicine discoveries into medical advances. 

Sparq Labs offers flexible dry and wet lab spaces designed to support growing life sciences companies with built-to-suit infrastructure, shared amenities, and access to a collaborative innovation ecosystem, according to the Innovation Quarter. 

BioSpherix, a leader in advanced controlled environment systems for cell culture and manufacturing, is the anchor tenant for the expanded footprint. The company said its new CCT will collaborate closely with regional research institutions, industry partners and workforce development initiatives. 

“Sparq Labs was envisioned about three years ago as a 20,000-square-foot incubator space to support company growth and catalyze life science recruitment to a top-10 midsized city in the country,” said Isaac Perry, director of biotech and life sciences for the Innovation Quarter. “We achieved 90% occupancy in just 18 months, with 100% retention to date. 

"BioSpherix’s continued commitment to our region, as shown by anchoring this expansion, not only enables another 20,000 square feet of development but also provides ecosystem companies with a novel and efficient platform for their manufacturing strategy.” 

BioSpherix joined the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) RegeneratOR Test Bed space in 2022. The Test Bed, plus an Innovation Accelerator to support regenerative medicine start-ups and established growth companies, supports the regenerative medicine industry statewide. Over the last five years, over 50 companies have utilized the BioSpherix Xvivo System to maintain cell quality and production. 

“We are thrilled to be opening our Center for Cytocentric Technology, South, in Winston-Salem,” said Syed Ahmed Mustafa, president of BioSpherix. “Our goal is to support and advance the vision of WFIRM, while also engaging with the broader Innovation Quarter ecosystem as a dynamic, collaborative hub uniting research, industry and community. Through this presence, we aim to expand access to cutting-edge, transformative technologies designed to advance and accelerate research in regenerative medicine and beyond.” 

BioSpherix is based in New York and opened a similar center in Parish, N.Y., earlier this week.

The company's technologies focus on maintaining precise environmental control for sensitive cell processes. Its presence further strengthens connections across the district, building on years of programmatic support and the provision of innovative equipment to the Regenerative Medicine Development Organization (ReMDO) Test Bed anchored in WFIRM. 

“BioSpherix’s expansion in the Innovation Quarter strengthens the region’s leadership in regenerative medicine,” said Anthony Atala, M.D., director of WFIRM. “Having an industry partner with such advanced environmental control manufacturing embedded within our ecosystem accelerates our ability to translate scientific discoveries into real-world technologies. Their presence enhances the collaborative infrastructure of the ecosystem.” 

The ribbon-cutting event celebrated both the physical expansion of Sparq Labs and the continued momentum of the Innovation Quarter’s life sciences cluster.