A celebration of science and technology shaping the future
By Mariel Schoen
Last month, the Wyss Institute welcomed more than 550 researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and innovation leaders to its annual Retreat – a landmark event showcasing the remarkable potential of bioinspired science and the translational power of the Institute’s vibrant ecosystem. With more than 135 visiting leaders and collaborators in attendance, this year’s Retreat marked a pivotal moment in the Institute’s evolution, strengthening its role as a premier gathering for the biotech innovation community in Boston and beyond, and underscoring the Institute’s commitment to accelerated impact.
In his opening remarks, Wyss Institute Founding Director Don Ingber set a powerful tone – not only reflecting on the year’s extraordinary scientific breakthroughs, but also acknowledging the growing challenges faced by academic institutions and publicly-funded research. “It’s easier to destroy than to create,” he said. “But we are a community of creators – and we will not stop.”
Tackling Grand Challenges, together
The day-long celebration of invention, progress, and purpose was centered around six Grand Challenges facing humanity today: Fighting Cancer, Infectious Disease, Women’s Health, Brain Health, Healthy Aging, and Sustainable Futures. Across every session, the message was clear: in a world shaken by uncertainty, this community continues to build, create, and envision the future of what science can achieve for people and our planet.
From next-generation cancer immunotherapies and AI-designed antibiotics to PFAS biosensors and precision brain drug delivery platforms, more than 30 Wyss community members shared their stories from the Retreat stage, illuminating the passion driving their work forward, and demonstrating how Wyss science is accelerating real-world impact through collaboration at every level.
Salivary diagnostics for neonatal sepsis, synthetic lymphoid organs for ovarian cancer therapy, and other breakthrough technologies showcased at the Retreat were not just visionary – they were tangible, rigorously tested, and swiftly advancing toward the clinic, the market, and patients around the world.
It’s easier to destroy than to create. But we are a community of creators — and we will not stop.
Conversations that move the field forward
Dynamic panel discussions brought together voices from academia, venture capital, and industry to exchange ideas on tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
Funding Sustainable Technologies in Our Changing Climate explored how government, venture capital, and academic innovators can work together to support emerging environmental solutions. Using Project Air as a model, the panel highlighted new frameworks for funding breakthroughs in sustainable technologies.
Creating Commercial Success Stories for Women’s Health Innovation addressed the critical gaps in healthcare for women and the strategies needed to turn cutting-edge research into viable, investor-backed solutions. Experts from leading venture firms shared insights on what it takes to bring differentiated diagnostics and therapeutics to market.
Towards Directed Targeting of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics tackled one of biotech’s biggest delivery challenges – targeting nucleic acid therapies to organs other than the liver. Wyss researchers and Boston-area biotech leaders discussed promising advances and the path from innovation to implementation.
AI for the Life Sciences: Is Your Data Ready? examined how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing drug development, biomarker discovery, and synthetic biology. Panelists shared perspectives from academic labs and startups on preparing data, navigating market dynamics, and translating AI-driven insights into tangible breakthroughs.
The four discussions underscored the urgent need for bold, cross-sector collaboration to accelerate real-world impact in science and technology. Three major themes emerged:
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Bridging innovation and investmentWhether advancing women’s health or sustainable technologies, panelists emphasized the importance of pairing visionary science with compelling business models that resonate with investors and strategic partners.
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Unlocking hard-to-reach frontiersFrom delivering nucleic acid therapeutics beyond the liver to designing AI-ready datasets for drug development, experts explored the next generation of technical challenges – and how creative partnerships are key to overcoming them.
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Creating new models for translational successUsing initiatives like Project Air as case studies, discussions highlighted the power of integrated support structures – uniting academia, government, and industry – to move breakthrough ideas from lab to market, faster and more effectively.
Science on display: from vision to impact
Just outside the main presentation hall, attendees were immersed in an illuminated corridor turned “candy store of technologies” that brought the Wyss mission to life. Lined with more than 50 artifacts from Wyss-born startups and translational programs, the exhibit showcased successfully launched diagnostics, devices, and therapies that once debuted on the Retreat stage as bold visions for the future. Today, they stand as testaments to the Wyss Effect – powering core scientific breakthroughs forward to create positive impact for life on earth and redefine what’s possible in the world.
Looking ahead: be part of the next Wyss Retreat
We are actively building on the momentum of this year’s Retreat to make next year even more ambitious, with greater external participation and more integrated opportunities for partners to engage across sectors. Whether you’re a funder, investor, startup, corporate innovator, or healthcare leader, there are many ways to be part of the Wyss community:
- Sponsor the 2026 Wyss Retreat to help us continue to convene world-class science, elevate cross-sector dialogue, and make this event accessible to a wider network of innovators and partners.
- Join a Strategic Program — From diagnostics to brain health, sustainable tech to scientific instrumentation, and more.
- Explore Joint Ventures or IP Licensing — Bring a Wyss technology into your pipeline or co-develop next-generation solutions with our teams.
- Invest in Translation — Support the launch of new ventures, therapeutics, and diagnostic platforms arising from Wyss labs.
- Support Young Scientists and Translational Research as a donor or investor.
We are deeply grateful to this year’s Retreat sponsors, Cooley LLP and Lila Sciences, whose support helped make this extraordinary day possible. Their partnership reflects the kind of visionary support that moves science beyond the lab – and into clinics, communities, and markets worldwide.
1/16 Melis Anahtar, a research fellow in Jim Collins’ lab, presents AI-enabled antibiotic discovery to combat drug-resistant infections. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
2/16 Di Feng, our newest Wyss Associate Faculty member, presents innovative approaches to preserving kidney function under long-term physiological challenges. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
3/16 John Konsin, CEO of Prapela, and Jim Niemi, Senior Director of R&D at the Wyss Institute, pose with the vibrating mattress developed at the Wyss to prevent breathing problems in infants. Prapela licensed the technology in 2018 and obtained FDA Breakthrough Device designation for their SVS hospital bassinet pad in 2023, making it the first medical device with FDA marketing authorization to treat newborns exposed to opioids before birth. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
4/16 Mike Super, Director, Immuno-Materials, shares his team’s progress towards developing a first-of-its-kind biologically engineered broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapeutic, funded by the DARPA-SHIELD program. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
5/16 Gretchen Fougere, Senior Director of Business Development – Commercialization, presents “iNodes,” an ARPA-H–funded treatment paradigm in personalized immunotherapy with the potential to prolong the lives of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
6/16 Two members of the Communications Team, Max Rousseau and Jessica Leff, received the 2025 Ayis Antoniou Award for Administrative and Operational Excellence. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
7/16 Wyss Institute Core Faculty members David Walt and Natalie Artzi lead pioneering research in diagnostics and biomaterials, respectively. Together, they exemplify the Institute’s mission to translate innovative research into practical solutions that improve human health. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
8/16 Attendees explore artifacts from Wyss-enabled startups and technologies on display in the Impact Exhibit. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
9/16 Gameto is using Wyss-developed ovaroid technology to lower health risks and increase the chances of success for IVF by performing part of the egg maturation process outside the body in lab-grown ovaries. The first baby, pictured here, was born in 2024 with help from the company’s Fertilio procedure. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
10/16 Members of Wyss Core Faculty member George Church's lab pose for a photo with Hansjörg Wyss, founding donor of the Wyss Institute. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University. 
11/16 Emily Stoler, Principal Scientist, Sustainable Materials, shares HydroPEF, a portable system for low-cost water decontamination. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
12/16 Hansjörg Wyss, founding donor of the Wyss Institute, signs a copy of his book The Art of Impact, celebrating a legacy of visionary philanthropy and transformative innovation. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
13/16 Attendees from the Wyss Institute’s 15 partner hospitals and universities, along with industry collaborators, connect and collaborate during the Retreat – fostering new ideas and partnerships to drive innovation forward. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
14/16 Liqun Wang, Principal Scientist, and Jim Gorman, Senior Director of Translational R&D, lead the Brain Targeting Program at the Wyss Institute where they are collaborating with industry partners to develop brain shuttles that increase the uptake of drugs into the brain to improve the lives of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and other brain diseases. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
15/16 Attendees explore artifacts from Wyss-enabled startups and technologies on display in the Impact Exhibit. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
16/16 Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2025 Wyss Retreat a meaningful, energizing, and successful event! Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University
Help us keep science moving forward
To explore sponsorship or partnership opportunities for the 2026 Wyss Retreat and beyond, please contact Jonelle Prill-Tate, Director of Strategic Engagement. Together, we can ensure the Wyss Institute remains a place where the most promising ideas backed by breakthrough science don’t just survive – they thrive.