History shows that inventions invariably build on earlier findings that are recombined and improved upon.
“Most of the things we use every day are inventions that no single human being could ever design within her lifetime,” biologist Joe Henrich, of the University of British Columbia, stated in an article for Scientific American. “Rather than the product of individual innovators, these inventions can be thought of as the product of our societies. Innovations rely on individuals learning from others – in that way, human society functions like a collective brain.”
In the pharmaceutical world, scientists are currently tackling some of the world’s most complex health problems, creating treatment options for diseases for which no effective therapies were previously available. These include developing vaccines for emerging health threats, custom gene therapies for cancer patients, and giving sufferers of chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, new options to improve their quality of life.
Recognizing that solving these problems requires collaboration and knowledge sharing, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany recently launched a network of collaborative labs,the M Lab™ Collaboration Centers to help partners troubleshoot and identify how to most quickly, safely, and efficiently realize, manufacture and bring biopharmaceutical products to market. At these new or revamped labs, in 9 locations across the world, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany scientists provide innovators who want to produce life-enhancing medications with technical expertise, support, and training. They help troubleshoot production issues and provide access to world class equipment. M Lab™ Collaboration Centers support customers who rely on the technical experience and expertise of the scientists and engineers at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany for finding solutions to the critical challenges of their pharmaceutical production processes.