CAMBRIDGE, MA—Furthering what is already a considerable presencefor the REIT in Greater Boston's life sciencessector, BioMed Realty Trust Inc. and theBroad Institute of MIT and Harvard on Wednesdaysaid they had formed a strategic partnership to foster innovationand promote relationships between academia and the life scienceindustry. BMR's strategic investment group, BioMed Ventures, willwork with the Broad Institute to engage the biomedical communityvia events designed to bring together thought leaders fromacademia, biotech and pharmaceutical companies and the investmentcommunity.

"One of the founding principles of the Broad Institute is thatcollaboration unlocks new possibilities in biomedical research,”says Issi Rozen, director of strategic alliancesat the Broad Institute. “We are pleased to partner with BioMedRealty to create new collaboration opportunities and driveinnovation.”

Both partners have made real estate-related moves in recentmonths to further the climate of innovation along the Cambridgebiotechnology corridor. In May, the Broad Institute—founded by MIT,Harvard and Los Angeles philanthropists Eli and Edythe L.Broad—opened a 375,000-square-foot research building at 75Ames St. in Cambridge's Kendall Square, adjacentto the institute's existing 7 Cambridge Center location. It wasdesigned expressly to facilitate the sharing of ideas, with aflexible floor plan that integrates lab and office space on everyfloor, allowing large multidisciplinary research teams,administrative teams and small academic groups to workside-by-side.