The pearl of the Mediterranean might be found in Egypt, but the pearls of science are typically found in the lab. Alexandria Real Estate Equities owns, develops, and operates offices and labs to life science tenants including biotech and pharmaceutical companies, universities, research institutions, medical office developers, and government agencies. A real estate investment trust (REIT), Alexandria owns approximately 170 specialized properties with more than 15 million sq. ft. of rentable space in the US and Canada. Its portfolio is largely located in high-tech hotbeds such as Boston, greater New York City, the San Francisco Bay area, San Diego, Seattle, and suburban Washington, DC.