Centre for Phenogenomics Opens in Toronto

The Centre for Phenogenomics completed its $50-million facility in the Lebovic Research Centre in Toronto in mid-2007. The 120,000-sf, 180,000-mouse facility houses research laboratories for the study of physiological phenotyping, generation of mutant mice, behavioral analysis, imaging, pathology, and cryopreservation. The project team included engineering firms LKM and SNC-Lavalin Engineering & Technology. The facility features a robust HVAC system with rigorous air filtration and a sophisticated lighting system with full spectrum daylight cycles for optimal mouse health. The fire alarm system, designed by LKM, only emits sounds below 1,000 hertz, outside the mices' hearing range. The building has six power generators, three of which are redundant, and robotic cage cleaning and sterilization. The center is a partnership between Mount Sinai Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children, University Health Network, and St. Michael’s Hospital.