On April 30, we welcomed our Hertz community to the MIT Museum for Next Generation Biotech Through the Hertz Fellow Lens, an evening exploring the technologies poised to redefine the life sciences over the coming decade.

The gathering brought together Hertz Fellows, researchers, founders, funders, and partners for an interactive program built around five Fellow-led stations, each focused on a domain reshaping translational science: AI and biology, biosecurity and ethics, the path from research to commercial reality, neurotechnology, and next-generation therapeutics.

Throughout the evening, guests moved through between the Hertz Fellow-led stations curated to spotlight the different domains defining the next-generation biotech.

• AI x Biology explored how machine learning and generative design are dramatically accelerating the pace of scientific discovery, from protein structure prediction to the design of entirely novel biological systems.
• Biosecurity and Ethics tackled how we can safeguard rapid innovation in ways that build global resilience rather than new vulnerabilities.
• From Research to Reality fostered candid cross-sector dialogue between researchers, founders, and supporters on the journey from laboratory to real-world impact.
• Neurotechnology showcased the engineering of new tools to decode, restore, and connect the brain, offering a glimpse into a future where neural interfaces and brain science converge.
• Next-Gen Therapeutics highlighted the engineered cells, programmable proteins, and gene-editing platforms that are reshaping what medicine can address and for whom.

Hosting this interactive Hertz event at the MIT Museum — a longtime venue for public science engagement in Cambridge — allowed us to blend the biotech and academic ecosystems in a setting designed to foster collaboration rather than formal presentation. Putting our Hertz Fellows at the center of the program reflects what we believe makes the Hertz community distinctive: the willingness of our Fellows to share their work openly, and the curiosity of our broader community to engage with it.

As biotech enters a period of unprecedented convergence with AI, engineering, and computation, evenings like this reaffirm our role: cultivating not only individual scientific talent, but the community fabric that allows breakthroughs to take root and scale.

To experience a Hertz Community event, explore all our upcoming Hertz Foundation events.

About the Hertz Foundation

The Hertz Foundation is the nation’s preeminent nonprofit organization committed to advancing American scientific and technological leadership. For more than 60 years, it has stood as an unwavering pillar of independent support through the renowned Hertz Fellowship, cultivating a multidisciplinary network of innovators whose work has positively impacted millions of lives. Learn more at hertzfoundation.org.