By Cindy Dubin, Science Writer
With more than 1,000 biotech companies calling the Greater Boston area home, the Massachusetts capital has become the world’s top biotech hub, generating some of the most innovative developments in the manufacturing of treatments and diagnostics.1 Between 2006 and 2021, the Massachusetts life sciences industry labor market more than doubled (131 percent) while the overall statewide labor market grew by 6.9 percent. According to MassBio, nearly 85,000 people work in the state’s life sciences sector, up 55 percent from 2008.2 Some factors behind Boston’s emergence include its proximity to Harvard Medical School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Massachusetts General Hospital, and other leading academic institutions. Companies drawn in by the potential to tap into this vast pool of scientific minds choose to stay to gain access to the generous public and private funding of the biotech industry.1
Just as the biotech is drawing scientists to the Boston area, so too will AAPS’ PharmSci 360 annual conference this October 16-19, 2022.
Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology may not have a football rivalry but they do have the “Cambridge Rivalry.” On Sunday, consider hopping on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA, colloquially as “the T”) to take the 23-minute journey between schools. Located next to the MBTA Kendall/MIT Inbound subway train stop is the MIT Museum, which hosts collections of holography, technology-related artworks, artificial intelligence, architecture, robotics, maritime history, as well as the history of MIT. Harvard boasts a few science-based museums, such as the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments.
Of course, you will be in the Cradle of Liberty. The Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum will be open on Sunday and Monday. Or sit back and relax on the one hour and 45-minute Boston Hop-on Hop-Off Trolley Tour, which will take to 14 stops, including the USS Constitution, the famous ‘Cheers!’ bar, historic Faneuil Hall, and the famous Boston Common. You can receive discounted admission to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum with the purchase of your tour. Sunday morning offers the opportunity to worship at The Old North Church, Boston’s oldest surviving church and one of the Freedom Trail’s most visited historical sites, known for “One if by land, and two if by sea,” and the midnight ride of Paul Revere.
On Monday, from 8:30-4:00, there will be a guest tour of The North Shore of Boston. This is an eclectic mix of towns along the rustic Massachusetts coast. Several towns dot the shore with a mix of fishing villages such as Gloucester, Salem of the famed Salem Witch Trials in the 1690’s, Rockport, and Marblehead. You will enjoy a bit of history, local culture, and gorgeous scenery, including ocean drives, lighthouses, and colorful piers. The tour will include a stop at Hammond Castle, built in the late 1920s by scientist, inventor, and art connoisseur John Hays Hammond, Jr. (1888-1965). Sitting high on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the castle brings together a unique combination of art, architectural elements, and culture, backdropped by innovative technological applications. You will enjoy lunch in downtown Gloucester.
And let’s not overlook the obvious fact that you will be near Salem during Halloween month. So, after a day of PharmSci 360 sessions on Tuesday, plan a visit to the Salem Witch House to get a historic factual overview of the witch trials. This house was once home to Jonathan Corwin, who served as a judge in the witchcraft trials of 1692. The Witch House was also the site of family tragedy, so it should come as no surprise that this is one of several possible haunted places in New England. Tickets may be purchased at the door daily until 4:45 pm. However, if you are more courageous, consider an after-dark walking tour of the infamous city. Bewitched After Dark will even take you to one of America’s oldest cemeteries where you can honor the victims of 1692 at the Salem Witch Trials Memorial.
For sports enthusiasts, the Boston Bruins, one of the Original 6 National Hockey League teams, will take on the Florida Panthers at TD Garden at 7pm. The Boston Celtics may also be in town during that time, but their schedule was not available as of press time. Should you choose to extend your stay in Boston, the annual Head of the Charles® Regatta will be taking place October 21-23.
And finally, there is the food. The Omni Parker House Hotel is one of the most historic in the city. It was Parker’s Restaurant, where the Boston cream pie was born. And travel pros say the best baked beans in Beantown can be found at one of the country’s oldest restaurants, the Union Oyster House. The Union Oyster House, Neptune Oyster, and Legal Harborside do their part to rep clam chowder.
References
- Boston Named World’s Top Biotech Hub as the City’s Leading Biotech Companies Continue to Make Major Breakthroughs, by Rachael Green, Yahoo.com, Oct. 27, 2021.
- MassBio® Releases Study Identifying Workforce Needs and Challenges Within Massachusetts’ Life Sciences Industry, June 2, 2022.