The member institutions have already invested money in building new laboratories and enhancing old ones, Nathan said. Many of the laboratories would be too expensive for independent institutions to maintain.

In addition, several collaborative projects have been launched. More than half of the center's 800 members are already engaged in collaborative research, according to a news release from HMS. Five disease-based programs that are designed to interact with 10 discipline-based programs have also been established.

The center will expand to include seven more disease-based and nine more discipline-based programs within the next few years, according to the release.

"The new center is already creating this research synergy because we know researchers have found each other through its programs who would not have through our old system," said HMS Dean Joseph B. Martin said in the release.

The center's Intranet, which became functional last week, will be essential to the collaboration.

Researchers from different membership institutions will now be able to securely exchange information and access shared data.

"We needed communication above all," Nathan said. "And we've got it."