The short version
- News is my Business reported that UPR-Mayagüez is leading the $8 million National Science Foundation-funded CAPCell project with UPR Río Piedras, Ana G. Méndez University and the Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust
- The San Juan Daily Star reported the center will develop AI tools to improve manufacturing, monitoring and quality of stem cells, aiming to reduce losses and increase accessibility of therapies
- Both outlets reported the project is led by Manuel Rodríguez-Martínez with Maribella Domenech-García as associate director and includes more than $1 million for student scholarships and training programs
- The initiative also provides seed funding for other faculty and seeks industry collaborations to transfer knowledge and support economic development
Multidisciplinary research center established
The University of Puerto Rico’s Mayagüez campus is leading an $8 million National Science Foundation-funded project to apply artificial intelligence toward better manufacturing, monitoring and quality of stem cells intended for therapeutic applications. News is my Business reported. The Center for AI-Driven Bioprocess Control for Cell Manufacturing, known as CAPCell, brings together UPR-Mayagüez, UPR’s Río Piedras campus, Ana G. Méndez University and the Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust. The San Juan Daily Star reported.
The effort begins with a four-year period that can be extended by three additional years. It is directed by Manuel Rodríguez-Martínez, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at UPR-Mayagüez, with Maribella Domenech-García, a chemical engineering professor, serving as associate director. Researchers will create AI tools to enhance cell production, cut manufacturing losses and raise cell quality.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
We want to develop technologies that allow us to optimize cell quality, avoid losses during manufacturing processes, and make these treatments available to a greater number of people.
The source's own statement, as quoted by News is my Business. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Goals and training components
According to News is my Business, the goal is to make therapies more accessible. Rodríguez-Martínez said the project seeks to "optimize cell quality, avoid losses during manufacturing processes, and make these treatments available to a greater number of people." Specialists from chemical, electrical, computer engineering, software development fields contribute to the effort. The initiative aims to build connections with firms focused on cell manufacturing while sharing expertise at additional organizations.
The San Juan Daily Star reported that Rodríguez-Martínez described the project as one that will harness artificial intelligence to better manage stem cell production processes, boost output and ensure the cells become more widely available to treat various illnesses. The proposal sets aside more than $1 million to support graduate and undergraduate students with scholarships, tuition assistance, hands-on research, specialized seminars, summer programs for high schoolers and professional development for educators. Professors outside the main research team are to receive annual seed funding from CAPCell.
Where the sources differ
Both News is my Business and The San Juan Daily Star agree on the $8 million NSF grant amount, the four-year initial term with possible three-year renewal, the participating institutions, the project name CAPCell or Collaborative E-RISE, the leadership by Manuel Rodríguez-Martínez with Maribella Domenech-García as associate director, the focus on AI for stem cell manufacturing to reduce losses and improve accessibility, and more than $1 million dedicated to student scholarships and training. News is my Business provides more direct quotes from both leaders and details on equipment acquisition and collaborations with emerging industries, while The San Juan Daily Star emphasizes the multidisciplinary expertise including business disciplines and positions the project as strengthening Puerto Rico’s role in biomedical research.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not specify the exact total value if the grant is renewed for three additional years, the precise amount of funding allocated to equipment and computing infrastructure, the names of any industry partners already committed, or a timeline for when the first AI tools or trained students might produce results. They also do not address how the center plans to measure success in reducing manufacturing losses or increasing therapy accessibility.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official UPR-Mayagüez leads $8M AI-driven stem cell project
- Reporting UPR-Mayagüez leads $8M AI-driven stem cell project
- Reporting UPR Mayagüez lands $8 million NSF grant to advance AI-driven stem cell research
How we checked this
News is my Business and The San Juan Daily Star both covered the NSF grant announcement on Nov. 2, 2026, drawing from the same university announcement. Details on student support, faculty seed funding and knowledge transfer rest on both reports, while specific quotes from Rodríguez-Martínez and Domenech-García appear only in News is my Business.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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