From a six-foot bench to a private lab, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research offers flexible research and workspace options to support early-stage startups, established companies and collaborative partners. Whether you need just a bench or a full suite of lab, greenhouse and office space, you can rent only what you need with options to expand as your work evolves.

As a public-sector nonprofit, IALR offers reasonable rates and flexible lease terms to support innovation and lower barriers for growing companies. Our Applied Research division provides access to specialized spaces focused on fermentation, biotechnology, controlled environment agriculture (CEA), automated plant imaging and more.

With IALR’s research team on-site, alongside researchers from Virginia Tech and other private companies, your company will be part of a thriving research ecosystem designed for real-world results.

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Lab Space

IALR offers flexible lab rental options ranging from a single bench to private or shared laboratory space. Tenants benefit from on-site access to a wide range of equipment, including fermenters, biosafety cabinets, growth chambers, PCR systems and automated plant imaging platforms.

Our full-service microbiology lab supports projects involving plants, bacteria, fungi and other living systems, whether you’re engineering a new strain or scaling microbial production.

Our team of expert researchers is available to help develop experimental methods and assist with equipment operation as needed. The Advanced Materials Lab is also available for tenants.

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“When you have a laboratory, you can do more things, and you have more value. Prospective clients see this place and take me very seriously.” — Chris Lester, Ph.D., Lester Polymer Insights LLC

“IALR has provided us the environment and expertise to grow plants under various stress conditions in an effort to understand how these stresses present themselves in the plants. IALR is unique in this capability, which is definitely something that we could not do at our commercial partner’s production facilities.” — Ben Welch, Canon Virginia

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Greenhouse and Indoor Growing Space

IALR provides access to greenhouses and indoor CEA spaces equipped for soil-based and hydroponic cultivation. Many of these growing areas have precision climate control and real-time environmental monitoring.

Tenants also have the option to conduct experiments on the Spatially and Mechanically Accurate Robotic Table (SMART) Platforms, IALR’s robotic imaging and phenotyping systems that collect data on plant growth and health throughout the growth cycle. Businesses can also participate in the CEA Innovation Center, a research hub and agricultural technology training center for the CEA industry that is operated through a partnership with Virginia Tech.

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Office Space

Office space is available for rent on its own or in combination with lab or greenhouse space. Located adjacent to research facilities, these offices allow you to keep your administrative work closely connected to your technical or experimental operations.

“We have been working with IALR through the many growth stages of our company and could not have asked for better partners along the way. IALR’s state-of-the-art facilities and talented scientific team have helped us take our RNA technologies from lab to field.”
— Ameer Shakeel, Founder & CTO, AgroSpheres

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Wrap-Around Benefits

Companies renting space join a collaborative community of public and private sector researchers. Benefits include:

  • Customizable leasing options—rent a single bench, private lab, greenhouse bay, office or any combination based on your needs
  • Flexible lease terms and affordable rates tailored to support innovation and lower barriers for small and growing companies
  • Expert researchers on-site, including molecular biologists, chemists, CEA specialists and microbiologists who are available to support your project’s success
  • Biological and analytical chemistry testing services, with advanced tools like high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and more
  • A thriving, multi-partner research ecosystem, including IALR’s own applied research team, 5+ companies with on-site staff and academic researchers from Virginia Tech
  • A stunning conference center that makes it easy to host investors, collaborators or training events—all without leaving campus