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Talent is everywhere, but resources are not. There is a wealth of funds and resources available to scientists in the United States that often goes to waste, while researchers in developing countries lack the ability to buy even basic laboratory equipment. Seeding Labs hopes to address this disparity by collecting used and surplus laboratory equipment from universities, hospitals, and biotechnology companies to supply scientists in the developing world with the tools they need to conduct their research. Ultimately, we would like to integrate the researchers in these labs into a global, collaborative community of scientists sharing expertise across national boundaries, advancing global research and training the next generation of scientists.

Seeding Labs is a Harvard-based organization that collects used and surplus lab equipment and donates it to researchers working in developing countries. Over the past five years, we've shipped over $300,000 worth of lab equipment to scientists in 11 countries and across 3 continents. Our recipients carry out science at the highest level, tackling local problems and producing globally relevant knowledge. We've helped equip a Partners in Health clinic in Chile, a medical school in Kinshasa, and the Clinton Foundation's HIV initiative in Ethiopia; the scientists heading these labs have published over four dozen peer-reviewed articles, trained nearly 30 Master's and doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows, and made important discoveries on topics ranging from drug-resistant tuberculosis and dengue fever to neurodegenerative diseases.