Animal Research

The three-story International Vaccine Centre (InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan is one of the largest vaccine research centers in the world and the largest in North America. It is connected by a walkway to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) laboratory building in a cluster of life sciences R&D facilities at the University. The facilities operate together as VIDO-InterVac, one of only a few BSL-3 facilities in the world that can accommodate disease and vaccine research involving animals as large as cows.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning a 100,000-sf expansion and renovation of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL) in Athens. The $155 million project will support research on avian influenza and other infectious diseases at the 35-building complex. SEPRL was awarded $45 million in federal funding in December of 2014 to initiate the design and construction process.

Rajiv Gandhi National Centre for Biotechnology is planning to build a BSL-4 laboratory for avian influenza research in Thiruvananthapuram, India. The $9.7 million facility will be housed in the Microbial Containment Complex and will meet international safety standards. The project will support diagnostic testing for infectious diseases including H5N1, Ebola, Nipah, and Crimean Congo virus.

AstraZeneca will break ground in early 2015 on its $500 million Global R&D Centre and Corporate Headquarters in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Providing sophisticated pharmaceutical discovery and development facilities, the project will include space for biologics research, high throughput screening, medicinal chemistry, pre-clinical research, and clinical development. The 11-acre campus will accommodate approximately 2,000 employees.

The University of Edinburgh will break ground in February of 2015 on a $50 million expansion of its Easter Bush campus. Designed by Atkins Global, the project is part of the University's master plan to create the European Centre of Excellence in Animal Sciences and Food Security and comprises an innovation center, a campus hub, and a multistory atrium.

Texas A&M University broke ground on the $53 million Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in November of 2014. The 90,000-sf facility will house advanced technologies for sample testing to support animal and human health as well as food safety. Designed by Perkins+Will, the project will feature integrated laboratories, a full-service necropsy suite, and BSL-2 and BSL-3 areas. Vaughn Construction will begin building the facility in spring of 2015 with completion in approximately 18 months.

The Jackson Laboratory will begin construction in 2015 on the $21 million Center for Biometric Analysis in Bar Harbor, Maine. Supporting research on the genetic origins of disease, the four-story, 16,000-sf facility will house advanced technologies for imaging, measurement, gene sequencing, and data processing. The estimated duration of construction is 18 months.

Dalhousie University opened the Zebrafish Core Facility in October of 2014 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Located in the Life Sciences Research Institute, the $1.8 million laboratory will support interdisciplinary biomedical research on cancer, neuroscience, and genetics. Housing up to 75,000 adult fish, the 4,000-sf facility features a molecular lab and specialized rooms for cell and tissue studies.

The Pirbright Institute opened the $215 million National Virology Centre in October of 2014 in the United Kingdom. Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the CL-4 biocontainment facility will accommodate research on infectious diseases including avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, and swine fever. Built by Shepherd Construction, the 119,100-sf project will support vaccine development and the creation of technologies for animal disease detection, prevention, and response.

The University of Miami opened the $50 million Marine Technology and Life Sciences Seawater Complex in October of 2014 in Virginia Key, Fla. Located on the campus of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, the facility will support advanced research on marine life, climate change, coral reefs, and hurricanes. The 86,000-sf project is supplied with 1,000 gallons of seawater per minute and features a 3D hurricane testing lab with a 38,000-gallon tank.

The Pirbright Institute for Animal Health has awarded Shepherd Construction a $117 million contract to construct the Biological Resources Facility in the United Kingdom. The four-story, 80,000-sf project will support in-vivo testing for viruses including avian influenza. Completion is expected in 2018. Shepherd finished construction in August of 2014 on the first phase of redevelopment at the Pirbright campus, a $162 million, 119,100-sf biocontainment complex providing CL4 laboratories for animal disease testing and research.

Genentech’s custom-built colony management system (CMS) is allowing the organization to dramatically improve efficiency and reduce waste at its massive 150,000-sf vivarium facility east of San Francisco. In its first year of implementation, the system reduced operational inefficiencies by more than 150 percent and saved the organization more than $2 million, while also improving living conditions for mice and empowering husbandry and colony management staff.

Colorado State University opened the renovated Animal Sciences Building in September of 2014. The $19.5 million project created technology-rich classrooms and teaching labs in the 42,000-sf facility. The Animal Sciences Building includes BSL-2 research areas, labs for anatomy and physiology, and instructional space for microbiology and food safety. New mechanical, electrical, and telecommunications systems were installed. Construction began on the LEED-certified project in June of 2012 with completion in August of 2014.

The new four-story Cancer and Cardiovascular Research Building at the University of Minnesota consists of the 158,000-sf Cancer Research Building, a 96,000-sf addition to the Lillehei Heart Research Building, and a 34,000-sf vivarium used by the entire Biomedical Discovery District. The facility houses the University’s Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, as well as two groups of investigators from Masonic Cancer Center: chemical biologists focusing on studying chemical carcinogens as a cause of cancer, and faculty focusing on novel therapeutic strategies to fight cancer.

The Jackson Laboratory opened the $135 million JAX Genomic Medicine facility in October of 2014 in Farmington, Conn. Located on 17 acres at the University of Connecticut Health Science Center, the four-story, 183,500-sf building features 17 wet labs and 17 dry labs arranged in flexible, collaborative clusters. The facility also provides core service labs, two large conference rooms, offices, a data center, and a 200-seat auditorium.