Animal Research

The University of Arkansas dedicated the $17 million Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in November of 2017 in Fayetteville. Designed by WER Architects, the two-story, 54,000-sf facility provides researchers from the Division of Agriculture with multidisciplinary laboratories and greenhouses for the study of plant and animal science. Comprising two wings, the project includes administrative offices for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and meeting rooms to accommodate conferences and workshops.

The University of South Australia is constructing the AUD$247 million Health Innovation Building in Adelaide. Located in the Biomed City development, the 310,000-gsf facility will house the Centre for Cancer Biology, the Museum of Discovery, the Innovation and Collaboration Centre, health teaching clinics, a vivarium, and an atrium. Construction began on the 14-story project in 2015 and occupancy is expected in mid-2018.

Washington State University is designing two new research facilities that will be constructed on the Pullman campus. The $40 million Global Animal Health Facility Phase 2 will support the detection and diagnosis of zoonotic diseases and infectious agents such as avian influenza, BSE, foot and mouth disease, West Nile virus, and pandemic flu. The project will also house teaching labs for veterinary medicine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture broke ground in November of 2017 on a $160 million renovation and expansion of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL) in Athens, Ga. The secure facility will provide biocontainment laboratories to support the detection, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases such as pathogenic avian influenza. Completion is expected by 2020. Merrick & Company developed the Program of Requirements (POR) for the project, which could add approximately 100,000 sf to the 60-year-old campus.

The University of California, Riverside is constructing the $150 million Multidisciplinary Research Building 1 (MRB1). Designed by SmithGroupJJR, the five-story, 179,000-sf facility will provide collaborative wet, dry, and computational laboratories to accommodate up to 56 researchers and their teams. The project will include offices, conference rooms, BSL-2 labs, core research space, and a barrier vivarium with animal holding areas, procedure rooms, and support.

University of Texas Health San Antonio broke ground in October of 2017 on the $70 million Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies. Promoting the integration of research with clinical care, the project will accelerate the translation of medical discoveries into new therapies for patient treatment. Designed by Alamo Architects, the three-story, 108,000-sf building will provide open research labs, lab support, administrative and faculty offices, and a vivarium.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory broke ground in October of 2017 on the $75 million Center for Therapeutics Research in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. The project includes renovation of the existing Demerec Lab to create a 26,000-sf facility accommodating collaborative research in biology, chemistry, and genomics. The center will support the development of treatments for cancer, diabetes, leukemia, autism, and obesity. Completion is expected in late 2018.

Purdue University is planning to break ground in fall of 2018 on a $35 million equine hospital at the College of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette, Ind. Offering clinical, research, and instructional space, the 76,000-sf facility will include an imaging suite, an intensive care unit, and technology-rich operating rooms. The project represents the first phase of the redevelopment of Purdue’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. A small animal facility and a food animal building will be constructed in the future.

Ferring Pharmaceuticals is planning to construct a 124,000-sf headquarters and research facility in Copenhagen. Designed by Foster + Partners, the facility will provide collaborative biopharmaceutical labs and offices to support the development of innovative products in the fields of reproductive health, urology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and orthopedics. The building will include six stories above grade and two basement levels.

The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center at Fort Detrick was awarded full funding by the U.S. House of Representatives in September of 2017. Although the Department of Homeland Security had previously intended to close the facility, the recent appropriations bill has restored the laboratory’s entire $60 million budget, enabling the 160,000-sf center to continue its research on infectious diseases and pathogens. The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center provides BSL-4, BSL-3, and BSL-2 laboratories.

The University of Maryland completed construction of the $169 million A. James Clark Hall in September of 2017 in College Park. Designed by Ballinger, the collaborative 184,000-sf facility houses the Department of Bioengineering and the Institute for Biomedical Devices. The multidisciplinary building offers flex classrooms, a vivarium, an atrium, flexible wet and dry labs, a high-bay innovation lab, and space for programs in biology, information technology, and mechanical engineering.

SAB Biotherapeutics began construction in August of 2017 on an agricultural production facility for antibody therapeutics. The 80-acre ‘pharm’ will accommodate transgenic cattle which produce plasma in reaction to a vaccine, providing a source of natural human polyclonal antibodies. The facility is located adjacent to SAB’s existing corporate headquarters and is slated for completion in spring of 2018.

There are positive signs that funding for scientific research will not only be maintained, but will once again increase. Earlier this month, the Senate Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved $36.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health for the upcoming fiscal year. If approved intact, it will mark the third consecutive year that the NIH receives a $2 billion increase. The House Appropriations Committee already approved a $1.1 billion increase.

The United States Senate’s Committee on Appropriations approved a bipartisan bill in early September that provides $36.1 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health for fiscal year 2018, representing a $2 billion increase from 2017. The House of Representatives approved a $1.1 billion increase in NIH funding, with the actual amount expected to be closer to that allocated by the Senate bill.

The South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory broke ground in August of 2017 on a $58 million expansion and renovation of its Brookings facility. Located on the campus of South Dakota State University, the project includes 81,000 sf of new construction, including 3,762 sf of BSL-3 space and BSL-2E necropsy space. The existing laboratory space will subsequently be renovated. The project will support diagnostic testing and vaccine development for the prevention of infectious diseases. Completion is expected in 2020.