Industry News

Georgia State University opened a biotechnology R&D center called CollabTech in November 2000. The incubator, funded partially by the Georgia Research Alliance and with support from the Advanced Technology Development Center, is aimed at providing access to the most advanced equipment for biotechnology start-ups, as well as enabling the university and its students to participate in cutting-edge research and discoveries. The University of Georgia plans to open an agricultural biology research center, called AgTech, in March 2001.

St. John's College has awarded Bovis Lend Lease of Washington, D.C., a contract for construction management as the college renovates both Mellon Hall and the Francis Scott Key Auditorium. Construction is scheduled to start in spring 2001.

The Naval & Maritime Integrated Systems Expeditionary Warfare Center is remodeling a 240,000-sf facility to house the operations of Raytheon Co. Approximately 30,000 sf of lab space in the building will be dedicated to the development, integration, and testing of the company's military electronics.

MedImmune, based in Gaithersburg, Md., plans to select a site in Montgomery County for its new $60 million, 210,000-sf biotechnology headquarters. Phase I of the project includes construction of two buildings in a campus-style setting. The company will relocate its headquarters to the new building when construction is completed in 2002.

Life Technologies, recently purchased by Invitrogen of San Diego, will see 400 employees relocated from Rockville's Shadey Grove Life Sciences Center to a new three-building campus on 15 to 20 acres in Frederick, where Invitrogen will centralize its U.S. distribution services. The site provides approximately 175,000 sf of manufacturing, distribution, and some R&D space, and a 50,000-sf warehouse that will be renovated. Plans may include construction of a new facility for expanded R&D services at the site.