Google has filed with the EPA to test Wolbachia‑treated male mosquitoes in Florida, proposing 16M releases per year for two years to cut disease‑carrying populations.

FDA advisers will vote this week on whether to switch the 2026–27 COVID booster to target XFG, a subvariant with immune‑evasive mutations.

Tampa-based Trace Systems won a 10-year, roughly $1.8B USSOCOM EAGLE‑I award to modernize C2ISR and multi-domain data transport.

Ian and Jean MacKechnie gave $10 million to establish an 8,000-square-foot immunotherapy lab in downtown Tampa and to support a new clinical tower at Tampa General.

UF researchers will sample Tampa Bay to build a Vibrio forecast that could warn residents and shellfish managers weeks ahead. The effort follows recent deadly cases in Florida.

JPMorgan is leaning on Tampa’s Highland Oaks teams to build AI and payments tools, reshaping hiring and boosting campus investment across the region.

Tampa‑based XTEND won a $1.67M contract from Israel's defense ministry as it prepares for a planned Nasdaq debut and expands local manufacturing.

Sidus Space and St. Petersburg's Lonestar Data Holdings amended a roughly $120M collaboration to add another StarVault orbital data vault, pushing commercial backups farther from Earth.

NSF's TechAccess program and a Labor Department MOU could channel up to $224M into state AI hubs that pair training with apprenticeships and help small businesses adopt AI. The first letters of intent are due in mid‑June.

Sarasota's TENEX.AI closed a $250M Series B to scale its AI‑native SOC, hire hundreds and expand into EMEA.

AI‑made war clips and recycled videos are circulating on social feeds. Local experts and fact‑checkers lay out the red flags and tools to tell what’s real.

spARK Labs filled all available offices with 45 startups and has started a waitlist as it expands programming and partnerships in St. Pete’s Innovation District.

The Global Virus Network cut the ribbon on its international headquarters at USF on March 5, bringing Robert Gallo and global virology programs to Tampa Bay. University and network leaders say the move strengthens local research, training and pandemic preparedness.