AMHERST — An advanced optical tweezers system, which will allow University of Massachusetts scientists to measure and visualize the tiny forces that power living cells, is coming to the Institute for Applied Life Sciences building next year, as part of more than $2.1 million in grants awarded by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

With $1.63 million in support announced at an event at the Wyss Institute in Boston on July 9, the optical tweezers and associated components are scheduled to be installed in the Light Microscope Facility by mid-2027, and will be the first publicly available instrument of its kind in the state.

“This powerful tool will enable academic scientists and biotech industry partners to develop the next generation of drugs to treat a myriad of diseases, including heart failure and cancer,” Ned Debold, professor of kinesiology at UMass, said in a statement.

An additional $497,230 grant will establish a new suite of micro-patterning equipment within the building’s Nanofabrication Cleanroom, supporting the development of technologies including organ-on-a-chip disease models, micro- and nanorobots for targeted drug and cell delivery, miniaturized ultrasound devices and magnetically guided tools for minimally invasive procedures.

“This new micro-patterning system fills a critical infrastructure gap for life-science and biomedical research in western Massachusetts,” said Hongsoo Choi, professor of biomedical engineering at UMass. “By housing this capability within the Institute for Applied Life Sciences’ cleanroom, we’re opening the door for collaborators across campus and throughout the region to bring biomedical innovations from concept to reality faster than ever before.”

Together, the awards will expand the research, training and industry collaboration capabilities of the university’s Centralized Core Facilities, while strengthening life sciences innovation in the region. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center is providing more than $19.7 million in funding for 23 projects in the state.

The UMass site, located on Thatcher Road, and its 30 open-access core facilities, have supported more than 80 startup companies and pre-startups and provided over $4.5 million in translational seed awards to address unmet individual and societal needs, according to the university.

“These MLSC awards enable the important role that shared research infrastructure plays in driving innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development,” said Peter H. Reinhart, founding director of the Institute of Applied Life Sciences. “These investments will deepen industry engagement, expand workforce training opportunities and further strengthen Massachusetts’ leadership in the global life sciences sector.”

James Chambers, interim director of Centralized Core Facilities, said this means more research community access, expertise and training on advanced instrumentation.

“The result will be new discoveries, novel products and sustained economic growth that return real value to the commonwealth,” Chambers said.

Earlier this year, the Institute used $3.6 million in grants to acquire a next-generation mass spectrometer for molecular research and a two-photon, 3D printing system for precision biofabrication.