Animal Research

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.

The University of California, Riverside completed a $2 million BSL-3 renovation project in August of 2017. An existing laboratory facility was transformed by BNBuilders into a 1,383-sf life science research suite with an anteroom, gowning room, shower area, procedure rooms, autoclave, and biosafety cabinets. The project will support faculty research programs for the School of Medicine and is supplied by dedicated mechanical systems.

Auburn University opened the $16.6 million Pharmaceutical Research Building in June of 2017 in Auburn, Ala. Providing laboratories and offices for the Harrison School of Pharmacy, the 37,000-sf facility features collaborative open research spaces that are shared by multiple faculty members. A vivarium is located on the first floor of the building, and the second floor houses the Specialized Pharmaceutical and Experimental Center for Translational Research and Analysis (SPECTRA). The duration of construction was 16 months. 

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Merrick & Company will support the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate in the development of operational planning, IT infrastructure, biorepository transfer, and acquisition of future contracts for stand-up and operation of the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) now under construction in Manhattan, Kansas.

Eli Lilly completed a $90 million expansion of its San Diego biotechnology center in June of 2017. The 180,000-sf facility features the Life Science studio, a technology-rich laboratory suite supporting advanced drug discovery and development. Promoting global collaboration and innovation in the design, synthesis, and screening of molecules, the center will accommodate research in immunology, diabetes, oncology, and neurodegeneration.