York College’s J.D. Brown Center seeks tenant for vacant wet lab space in business incubator

The lab is looking for a productive new partner, one that would take advantage of internships and create synergies. See more photos of the space here: https://goo.gl/GmQgTR

Exciting advances in technology and science happen every day it in the expansive laboratory space at York College of Pennsylvania’s Kings Mill Depot, home of the J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, which currently has open wet lab space available to lease at its business incubator.

It’s where Rich Wurzbach and his team at MRG Laboratories have collaborated with campus staff, faculty, students, as well as other incubated companies to improve The Grease Thief, a blood test for machines that analyzes small samples of grease and provides an early warning sign of problems to come.

SiGNa Chemistry previously leased the open space. It was researching an invention that increased the yield of oil and gas from wells. It has since “hatched” from the incubator and moved to a bigger facility in New York.

Dream space for a startup

Whoever decides to take advantage of the vacancy will get a 17-foot-long epoxy benchtop, plenty of cabinet space, two deep sinks, and an eyewash station. Other amenities include access to nitrogen gas, compressed air, and a central vacuum system.

Plus, the wet lab features four shared fume hoods, including one for general chemistry, another for acids and corrosives, and a third for organics. The fourth can create a “clean” environment that keeps outside particles away from the workspace.

It’s an ideal setup for startups or smaller businesses looking to expand, complete with an existing safety program, access to conference rooms and the ability to tap into experts from York College and the school’s resources. And because the wet lab is in a business incubator, it comes with a reasonable price tag along with the benefits.

“It’s amazing the start that tenants can get and all the resources they have right here,” said Oscar Winters, the associate director of the J.D. Brown Center. “We’ve had some companies hatch, and they’ve stayed in York and done good things.”

Room for ideas to grow

Five companies, including a virtual client, use the incubator. MRG's Wurzbach said the lab is looking for a productive new partner, one that would take advantage of internships and create synergies.

Winters agrees.

“We want to be a central hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region,” Winters said. “We want to make sure that people are aware of the opportunities in the York area and give people what they need to get going and connect with other entrepreneurs.”

A new tenant gets that, as well as a unique space.

Housed in a building that once served as a warehouse for paper, the laboratory defies stereotypes with its high ceilings and exposed brick accents.

Wurzbach likes to think the expansive venue gives ideas room to grow – like his blood test for machines has.

“You look right out the window, and you see an old industrial complex,” Wurzbach said. “In here, you see what’s going to be happening next and what new technologies are going to be developed to bring the next wave of jobs along.”

More photos

For more photos of the space, visit our Facebook page.

Are you interested?

For more information on the wet lab space, contact Oscar Winters, Associate Director at the J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, at 717.815.6639 or owinters@ycp.edu.