Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Trump slashed funding for universities that helped create these vital drugs

1 1 1

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · 2d

Great piece on @washingtonpost.com:

The Post "examined the history of six important drugs invented over the past few decades. In each case, crucial steps in the development of the medication came from taxpayer-funded research at universities now at risk of losing federal support."

wapo.st/4q1M3ly

Medications that prevent HIV, shrink tumors and treat seizures were invented with government funding. At research universities, that money is now canceled or in jeopardy.

wapo.st

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · 12d

On a rainy morning in Roxbury this week, the annual economic outlook breakfast organized by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) did not serve up an especially sunny forecast for the future.

5 insights from the event:

www.masslive.com/news/2025/09... — via @masslive.bsky.social

Are there reasons to be optimistic about the Mass. economy? Yes and no

While recent surveys find that business leaders in the Bay State are pessimistic, and are having trouble getting access to capital, some see reasons for optimism.

Why these tech founders are building ghost ships that could transform naval warfare

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · 16d

What’s behind a surge in funding recently for startups in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that want to design and build ships?

Two words: uncrewed vessels.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/09... — via @masslive.bsky.social

Startups in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are developing a new class of uncrewed ships — and raising millions from investors. Could one of them become the Waymo of the waves?

The race to quantum computing supremacy runs through Boston

1 2

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · 23d

NVIDIA just placed a bet on this Boston startup building quantum computers.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/09... — via @masslive.bsky.social

Local startup QuEra attracts major investment from NVIDIA, highlighting the city's growing influence in the global competition to build computers that could crack current encryption systems.

Why Boston's most hated neighborhood is actually its most misunderstood success story

3 2

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · 29d

With Hasbro moving in soon, I thought it was time to ask: maybe we should stop dissing the Seaport?

www.masslive.com/boston/2025/... — via @masslive.bsky.social

With Hasbro's arrival marking another milestone, Boston's most criticized neighborhood continues to prove its critics wrong by building a diverse, dynamic community.

Opinion | We Are Watching a Scientific Superpower Destroy Itself

1 2

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Sep 8

From Sputnik to 2025: this country became a scientific superpower over seven decades. How quickly will we destroy that?

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/o... — via @nytimes.com

www.nytimes.com

Is this major Mass. tech company quietly shifting to San Francisco?

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Sep 2

A lot of things started to change at HubSpot in 2023.

In January, the company opened up an SF office. Then, it announced that an SF-based executive would be taking over as CEO. This week, the annual Inbound conference happens... in SF.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/09... — via @masslive.bsky.social

With its annual conference held in San Francisco and a CEO based in that city, what does it mean to be headquartered in Mass. these days?

Biotech slump: US risks losing its industry crown to China, Mass. leaders say

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 30

Georgia Tech Is Teaching Other Universities a Fundraising Lesson — via @wsj.com + @nidhisubs.bsky.social

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

2 1

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 26

A new report from MassBio finds shrinking employment in both manufacturing and research and development jobs — and that data doesn’t yet include 2025 layoffs in the biotech biz. Here's what industry veterans say about what's happening...

www.masslive.com/news/2025/08... — via @masslive.bsky.social

MassBio report shows venture capital investment declining to 2017 levels as industry leaders compare the situation to America's loss of semiconductor manufacturing.

Live, from Boston Harbor, it’s ‘Survivor: Life Sciences Edition’

1 3

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 19

More than 500 young life sciences entrepreneurs arrived on one of the Boston Harbor islands this week. While they were there for the annual Nucleate Alumni Summit, the vibe was a cross between a summer camp for geniuses and an episode of the reality show “Survivor.”

www.masslive.com/news/2025/08...

As China rises and other global cities aggressively court biotech talent, Massachusetts faces a "contracting moment" that has executives concerned about the future of innovation.

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 12

Looking forward to moderating this conversation tonight (Aug 12th) at the Harvard Book Store, with the author of "Boston and the Making of a Global City."

www.harvard.com/event/james-...

Meet the Massachusetts-made boat that never needs gassing up

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 12

Checking out a new solar-powered boat that can cruise along at 6 mph on only the sun's rays. The creator is an MIT alum who helped start the solar car racing team at the university.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/08... — via @masslive.bsky.social

James Worden, who built solar-powered race cars at MIT, now aims to revolutionize maritime transportation with his innovative TruSolar boat, while continuing his late wife's legacy.

A Boston tech company says its wristbands can estimate blood pressure. The FDA’s not so sure

2 4

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 8

And here's the @wbur.org segment about this story, which aired today (8/8): www.wbur.org/news/2025/08...

Scott Kirsner, a columnist from our editorial partner MassLive, joins WBUR's Morning Edition to discuss the feud.

www.wbur.org

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 7

Groundbreaking Harvard study — funded by the NIH — finds that lithium reverses brain aging.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/06/m...

Key paragraph at the end of this @bostonglobe.com piece by Kay Lazar:

Can Boston startup Whoop win its face-off with the FDA?

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 5

The Boston wearables startup Whoop got a warning letter from the FDA about its latest device. Its CEO was in DC earlier this year meeting with Trump cabinet member Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who oversees the FDA.

How will this play out?

www.masslive.com/news/2025/08... — on @masslive.bsky.social

Whoop is betting on political connections and wellness claims to keep its blood pressure monitoring feature, despite FDA warnings of potential fines and product seizures.

Cambridge startup’s sleep apnea pill shows promising results

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Aug 1

This is a good effort by Mass. Gov. Maura Healey... *IF* it gets funding. Trying to use $400 million of state money to preserve R&D jobs and early science, and counter severe federal cuts in the billions.

www.mass.gov/news/governo...

www.mass.gov

1 4

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Jul 29

Does a Cambridge startup have a pill that can treat sleep apnea?

Last week, Apnimed, a little-known pharma startup founded in 2017, announced encouraging results from its clinical trial of a new drug. Six things you should know about it, via @masslive.bsky.social:

www.masslive.com/news/2025/07...

Apnimed's experimental drug reduced breathing interruptions by nearly 46.8% in clinical trials, offering a potential alternative to CPAP machines for millions of people.

MIT Innovation HQ shuts down after 12 years due to budget cuts

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Jul 22

Innovation will likely not stop at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. However, one program designed to foster it was shut down last week after 12 years in existence.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/07... — scoop on @masslive.bsky.social

Federal research funding reductions led to the closure of the engineering school program, which had fostered cross-disciplinary collaboration since 2013.

A well-placed biotech investor says US policies are straining life sciences startups - The Boston Globe

2 2

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Jul 15

Johannes Fruehauf on @statnews.com: "Unfortunately, it seems that we in the U.S. are questioning our desire to lead a sector that we have traditionally led since the ’70s and ’80s, and Boston took a big role in that..." #biotech #lifesciences

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/07/15/b...

Johannes Fruehauf left Germany for the United States more than 20 years ago to propel his scientific career. But amid the Trump administration’s blows to science, he’s sensing more opportunity in his ...

www.bostonglobe.com

Here’s one way that Massachusetts is better than Hawaii

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Jul 11

The new @cnbc.com rankings of the best states for business are out, and...

www.masslive.com/news/2025/07... — via @masslive.bsky.social

Massachusetts edges out Hawaii in a key way, but it may be a somewhat dubious honor.

Can A.I. help whip you into shape?

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Jul 8

My latest column for @masslive.bsky.social — and a few bonus pics.

The robots have taken over this store at a Cambridge mall

www.masslive.com/news/2025/07... #retail #robotics #cambma

1 3

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Jul 1

Summer is the season of training camps and outdoor workouts — and also a new cohort of fitness and sports startups in MA.

I’ve been tracking three startups worth knowing about: HYBRD, Ray, and one so new it doesn't yet have a name.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/07... — via @masslive.bsky.social

These are three new fitness startups worth knowing about, founded by veterans of Android, Whoop, and Runkeeper.

‘Regardless of what’s happening in Washington’: New Mass. economic development chief seeks to grow economy

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Jun 26

My interview with Eric Paley of @foundercollective.bsky.social ... just named the new Secretary of Economic Development for Massachusetts.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/06... — via @masslive.bsky.social

The newly appointed economic development chief faces rising unemployment, manufacturing challenges, and AI disruption as he prepares to implement the Mass. Leads Act of 2024

Dear Gov. Healey: Here’s how to make Mass. a manufacturing powerhouse — again

Scott Kirsner @skirsner.bsky.social · Jun 24

Dear Gov. Healey:

There are not a lot of Trump administration objectives that you may feel like our state can get on board with over these next three-and-a-half years, but here’s one: making more stuff in the U.S.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/06... — on @masslive.bsky.social

#massachusetts #mapoli

From Junior Mints to robotics, the state already produces more than you think - but the next economic development chief needs to tackle four key challenges to unlock the state's greater potential.