Industry News

The University of California at Santa Cruz will construct a $12.9 million stem cell research center on the fourth floor of its planned Biomedical Sciences Building. Supported by $7.2 million in funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the 19,829-sf facility will house interdisciplinary stem cell research laboratories. The project will include core research areas, microscopy, and tissue culture rooms. 

Russian semiconductor manufacturer ANGSTREM-T has selected M + W Zander as project engineer to construct a 200mm wafer production plant at its Zelenograd campus. The 6,000-sm cleanroom facility is slated for completion in late 2009. M +W Zander is based in Germany.

Medical device manufacturer Johnson Medtech opened its 14,000-sm cleanroom facility in Shajing, China, in late June of 2008. Comprised of four cleanrooms on three floors, the project includes three ISO 8 Class 100,000 cleanrooms, an ISO 6 Class 1,000 cleanroom, a testing laboratory, and an engineering office. The facility will support increased production of medical devices and subassemblies. Additionally, construction will begin in July of 2008 on a control manufacturing area with assembly line and plastic injection workshop.

The Medical Research Council has selected HBG to build the £197 million Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in the United Kingdom. Designed by RMJM, the 32,500-sm laboratory will be supported by over 780 structural piles to mitigate vibration and will include an underground heat recovery pipe system. A 4,600-sm energy center will also be built. Construction will begin by year-end 2008 with completion expected in early 2012. The construction cost for the laboratory is £140 million.

Merck is building a $100 million, 110,000-sf pharmaceutical production facility in the Treyburn Corporate Park in Durham, N.C. Comprised of quality testing labs, a sterile processing plant, and packaging, the project is slated for completion in 2010 and represents the second phase of expansion at Merck’s vaccine manufacturing complex. The first $300 million, 235,000-sf phase was completed in spring of 2008. The third phase, a $300 million manufacturing, warehouse, and administrative facility, will reach completion in 2011.