Industry News

Texas A&M University broke ground in April of 2008 on the $47.8 million Texas Institute of Preclinical Studies (TIPS) in the A&M Research Park in Bryan. The 112,000-sf biomedical and animal research facility will support development and commercialization of therapies for diseases including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

Ithaca College completed the 38,000-sf College School of Business in March of 2008. The facility was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and built by Gilbane. The project is aiming for a LEED Platinum rating and will include a Center for Sustainable Management to incorporate green business principles into Ithaca’s MBA program. The School of Business features a green roof, a storm water collection system and is landscaped with an indigenous plant selection that requires no irrigation.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) approved the construction of a BSL-3 laboratory for foot-and-mouth research and testing near Bhubaneswar in March of 2008. Located on 117 acres in Jatani, the facility will enable vaccine development as well as serving as a repository unit for various serotypes. The centre will act as a referral laboratory for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and will be more technologically advanced than the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

Lindab, a manufacturer of spiral duct systems, is developing CLICK, a tool-free duct assembly system. The patent-pending duct and fitting product is based on Lindab's groundbreaking Lindab Safe system and is designed to couple spiral duct sections with unique double-lipped sealing gaskets into rolled-over, lead-in edges without tools, rivets, or welding. The CLICK system will be released in 2009. Advantages of the system are faster assembly, no need for manual tools, and ease of installation – especially where space is limited.

East Carolina University rededicated the Carol Belk Building in Greenville, N.C., on March 28. Designed by MHAworks, the $9 million renovation project transformed the existing facility to create a home of the College of Health and Human Performance. Designed to promote interaction, the Belk Building houses research laboratories up to BSL-3, teaching labs with low flow hoods and customized storage systems, three auditoriums, offices, work rooms, and conference rooms. The facility features extensive daylighting and an exterior low-e glazing.