Animal Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has selected Merrick & Company to develop the Program of Requirements (POR) for the renovation of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL) in Athens, Ga. The $158 million modernization project includes new construction and renovation of existing facilities on an active, 60-year-old campus that encompasses biosafety laboratories, brooding and breeding facilities, administrative offices, and support space.

In the ever-evolving quest for sustainability, engineers and their clients may find the 2013 updates to ASHRAE 90.1, the energy code that predominantly guides the design of buildings, useful in benchmarking energy efficiency for new or remodeled laboratories and vivaria. Regular review of the code ensures compliance for new projects and offers an opportunity to refine best practices for building envelopes, mechanical systems, lighting, and noise mitigation, say Adam Golubski and Philip Walter of The Clark Enersen Partners.

The Army Institute of Public Health has awarded a $206 million contract to a joint venture of The Walsh Group and Gilbane Building Company for the Public Health Command (PHC) laboratory replacement project. Located on 20 acres at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, the 275,000-sf biomedical research facility will include wet labs, field labs, offices, anechoic chambers, laser labs, a vivarium, an insectary, and a 43,000-gsf central utility plant.

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) is partnering with the University of Connecticut to create the $7.7 million Single Cell Genomics Center in Farmington. The facility will be located in JAX’s Genomic Medicine facility on the UConn Health campus. JAX is also planning to develop the Center for Precision Genetics at the site, supported by a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Lancer Sales USA introduced a new line of laboratory steam sterilizers in August of 2015. Developed for the high performance sterilization of labware, processed materials, and research byproducts, the sterilizers can be installed in newly constructed laboratories or in existing facilities. The units are available in single and double door pass-through configurations with four cabinet sizes, and all models stand 74” high with vanishing vertical doors that eliminate the need for elevation clearance.

Texas A&M University opened an 11,000-sf avian health complex for the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in August of 2015. Located in College Station, the climate-controlled aviary facility provides a BSL-2 biocontainment lab, a bird hospital, quarantine suites, three isolation rooms, classrooms, and offices.

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) is constructing a 950,000-sf replacement facility at Fort Detrick, Md. The $800 million project will provide BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4 laboratory space to support advanced biomedical research. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction on the project in August of 2009 and completion is expected in 2017.

Colorado State University is planning to build the $47 million Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Family Equine Hospital in Fort Collins. The 180,000-sf project will provide advanced diagnostic and surgical services, and house eight biosecure isolation stalls for the treatment of horses with infectious diseases. Supporting 27 equine clinicians, the hospital will feature imaging technologies, including a high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scanner. A 3 Tesla MRI will be installed in a new CSU research building adjacent to the facility.

Texas A&M University’s single-story, 10,000-sf Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Facility features 3,800 sf of research labs for analyzing and maintaining colonies of ants, termites, and cockroaches, and a general insectary for all other insect colonies, such as bed bugs and stored product pests. Specialized spaces include a genetics/analytical lab and an autoclave.

Funded by a grant from National Institutes of Health, The Ohio State University renovated Goss Laboratory to create an open lab concept in a 1961 building, where the researchers’ labs previously were isolated from each other. The intent was to promote visibility and teamwork in the field of veterinary infectious disease research. The new design features flexible lab bays lit with natural light, four BSL-2 tissue culture labs, a BSL-2 dedicated rodent phenotyping and infectious necropsy laboratory, equipment rooms, and an open office workspace for graduate student collaboration.

The strategic use of specialized doors and biocontainment cubicles in Weill Cornell Medical College’s new academic research facility maximizes flexibility by allowing the floor plan to be easily reconfigured for different levels of containment and program size.

In response to evolving needs and changing research emphases, a major addition to the Institute for Human Performance (IHP) at the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University expands the research focus beyond human activity and rehabilitation to encompass exploration of disorders of the nervous system, including behavioral disorders, such as ADHD; diseases of the eye; and neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security broke ground in May of 2015 on the $835 million National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kan. Created in partnership with Kansas State University, the 574,000-gsf facility will provide shared BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4 research space for the study of infectious diseases and select agents. The project is being built by the joint venture construction team of McCarthy/Mortenson.

Iowa State University's transgenic swine facility at Zumwalt Station Farm in Ames received an Award of Distinction from the Modular Building Institute in May of 2015. The 2,904-sf project was designed, manufactured, and installed by Art's Way Scientific. Supporting research on the genetic modification of domestic animals for agricultural and biomedical applications, the standalone facility incorporates biosafety features to protect a closed herd of swine.

Purdue University is planning to build the $60 million Agricultural and Life Sciences Facility complex in West Lafayette, Ind. The 123,000-gsf project will provide consolidated teaching and research space for the Department of Animal Sciences. Construction will begin in February of 2016 with occupancy expected in July of 2017. Purdue will also construct the $8.8 million Centaur Regional Equine Diagnostic and Surgical Center in Shelbyville which will house academic space for the College of Veterinary Medicine as well as providing health services to horses.