Planning Your First Biotech Lab: A Step-by-Step Guide for Startups

Planning your first biotech lab startup is exhilarating. You’ve got the science, the team, and the drive to innovate. But when it’s time to tackle the logistics, the sheer number of decisions can feel overwhelming—equipment, layout, compliance, costs. Where do you even start?

Step by Step Guide to Starting a Biotech Lab

This step-by-step guide breaks down the fundamentals of launching a biotech lab, from conception to launch and scale-up.

1. Define your lab’s purpose and scope

Before you order a single pipette, ask yourself: What’s the mission of this lab? Are you focused on drug discovery, genomics, or protein engineering? Your research goals will dictate your equipment, space, and budget needs.

Clarifying your lab’s purpose will also help you effectively communicate your mission to collaborators, funders, and team members. A strong, well-defined purpose resonates with stakeholders and builds confidence in your ability to lead a successful research project or business. start by asking yourself these three key questions:

• What is our core purpose?
  • What problem are we solving, and why does it matter?
  • What impact do we want to make in our industry, market, or community?
• Who do we serve?
  • Who are our key stakeholders (customers, partners, employees, investors, etc.)?
  • How do we create value for them?
• What makes us unique?
  • What sets us apart from competitors or other research projects?
  • What strengths, capabilities, or values define our approach?

2. Budget smart with flexibility in mind

For small and medium-sized biotech startups, every dollar counts. The trick is to balance upfront costs with scalability. Think modular equipment and flexible financing—options that grow with you.

At Thermo Fisher, we’ve seen startups save big by leveraging discounts and tailored payment plans through programs like Jump Start. We tailor flexible finance options to your needs and budget requirements. For example:

• Instrument leasing
• Monthly/quarterly payment plans
• Deferred Payment Program
• Instrument trade-in

Want to explore your options? Sign up to see ways we support your budget here.

3. Design a layout that works (now and later)

A well-planned lab layout saves time, boosts efficiency, and keeps your team safe. Start by sketching out zones: wet lab, dry lab, storage, and safety stations. Don’t forget workflow—your scientists shouldn’t be tripping over each other to reach the fridge.

The Jump Start New Lab Guide dives into layout basics, like placing high-traffic equipment near power sources and keeping hazardous materials isolated. Our augmented reality lab design tool can also help you visualize your lab space including placement of benches, instrumentation and equipment. Bonus: Our team can help you tweak your design with compliance and growth strategies in mind.

4. Stock up on essentials (without overdoing it)

You don’t need every gadget under the sun—just the right ones. Our Lab Checklist highlights must-haves like pipettes, centrifuges, and consumables plus tips for choosing scalable solutions. The Lab Checklist also covers key materials by workflow:

• Sample preparation, including nucleic acid isolation, purification, and quantification
• PCR, cloning, and electrophoresis
• Genetic analysis
• Transfection and protein expression
• Cell culture, imaging, and analysis
• Protein biology
• Lab water analysis and purification
• Lab equipment, plasticware, and chemical stock

Lab planning for emerging startups means starting lean and building smart. Skip the temptation to overbuy—invest in quality essentials and fill the gaps as you expand.

5. Lean on expert support to simplify the process

You’re a scientist, not a logistics wizard. Between permits, vendor negotiations, and delivery timelines, setting up a lab can feel like a second job. That’s where your lab supply vendor can come in.

The Jump Start Program offers setup support and expert advice tailored to biotech startups at every scale – from bootstrapped academic pioneers to Fortune 100-embedded innovators.

Hear from other scientists about their experience setting up their first lab:

6. Launch with confidence — and a plan to grow

Once your lab is up and running, celebrate the milestone! But don’t stop planning. Build in checkpoints to assess what’s working and where you need to scale.

• Efficiency & workflow: Are our processes optimized, or do we have bottlenecks?
• Resources & scalability: Do we have the right staff, budget, and infrastructure to grow?
• Data & quality: Are our results reliable, and do they meet expectations?
• Compliance & safety: Are we adhering to all regulatory and safety standards?
• Feedback & improvement: What do stakeholders say, and where can we enhance operations?

We partner with you to provide the technical expertise, support, and tools to not only help you launch, but to grow and succeed. Ready to take the leap? Register for Jump Start today and let us help you turn your lab vision into reality.

Lab Checklist Basics: You can do this (and we can help)

Starting a biotech lab is a big deal — but it’s not rocket science (well, unless you’re that kind of biotech).

And you don’t have to figure it out alone. Our Jump Start Program is built to guide emerging companies like yours through every step of lab planning:

1. Design lab goals
2. Create a budget
3. Plan the layout
4. Get supplies
5. Consult experts
6. Launch and grow

With a clear plan, a little storytelling, and Thermo Fisher’s decades of expertise, you’ll be running experiments in no time. We’ve championed early-stage biotechs and academic labs alike, and we’re here to do the same for you.

Ready to get started? Join us by registering for the Jump Start New Lab Program.

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