The U.S. Department of Agriculture broke ground on an insect nursery in May of 2011 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Located at the Agricultural Research Service's Invasive Plant Research Laboratory, the $16.7 million annex will be used to breed insects used as biocontrols for invasive plant species. Construction will begin in July of 2011 with completion expected in September of 2012.
Wickham Laboratories will open a new animal research campus in Gosport in June of 2011. Formerly occupied by Wyeth, the six-building site will provide laboratories, offices, security, and warehouse space. The main three-story facility is 42,100 sf. Wickham Laboratories is a contract research organization based in Wickham, U.K.
Tarleton State University opened the $11.2 million Southwest Regional Dairy Center in May of 2011. The teaching and research facility is located in Stephenville, Texas, and houses 300 cows. The center will promote collaborative industry partnerships for the development of sustainable dairy practices. A planned second phase will include a bottling facility and a creamery.
The University of California, Davis broke ground on the $58.5 million Veterinary Medicine Research Facility 3B on April 29, 2011. The four-story, 76,000-sf facility will support interdisciplinary research on human, animal, and environmental health issues. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. Completion is expected in December of 2012.
Spring Valley Laboratories opened its advanced surgical center for animal research in April of 2011 in Woodbine, Md. Located in a GLP-compliant facility, the surgical suite includes a dual station operating room, designated animal prep and recovery areas, a dark room, and a four-station necropsy suite. Spring Valley Laboratories is a contract research organization. The Woodbine facility provides indoor specific pathogen free (SPF) barrier animal housing for small and large animal models.
North Carolina State University will dedicate the $72 million Randall B. Terry, Jr. Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center in Raleigh in May of 2011. Doubling the size of the Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the 110,000-sf addition will house exam rooms, surgery suites, teaching space, and a pharmacy. The facility will support veterinary training and animal care with advanced imaging technologies, a linear accelerator, and copper-shielded rooms for neurological and opthalmological diagnostics.
SUNY Upstate Medical University broke ground on a $72 million expansion of the Institute for Human Performance in April of 2011. Located in Syracuse, N.Y., the 158,273-sf project will support research on behavioral disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and visual system disorders. The facility will be constructed adjacent to the existing Institute for Human Performance and is slated for completion in 2013.
The Texas Biomedical Research Institute will begin construction in early 2012 on a 70,000-sf expansion of its San Antonio campus. Designed by Lake Flato Architects and FKP Architects, the project will provide additional labs and offices for the Southwest National Primate Research Center and programs in regenerative medicine, virology, and immunology. The MEP design consultant for the expansion is HMG & Associates of San Antonio. Completion is expected in mid-2013. LEED certification will be sought for the facility.
The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine will begin construction in spring of 2011 on a $21 million expansion of the Equine and Farm Animal Hospitals. The project is located at the existing Veterinary Medical Center in Knoxville. Completion is expected in December of 2012.
Auburn University broke ground on the $6.3 million Poultry and Animal Nutrition Center on March 30, 2011. The facility will support teaching and research in feed science, technology, and manufacturing. The feed mill will be constructed using a modular design. Completion is expected in December of 2011.
The University of Edinburgh completed the new Roslin Institute in March of 2011. The $97 million project houses animal health research and education facilities including the Scottish Agricultural College and the Royal Veterinary School. Designed by HDR Architecture, the building reflects the shape of a chromosome with strands of offices interwoven with strands of laboratories, connected by conference rooms and interaction spaces. The new Roslin Institute includes a 250-seat auditorium, a library, and a freezer archive.
The University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources will begin construction in fall of 2011 on a $10.5 million dairy research and teaching facility in Saskatoon. The facility will house teaching areas, animal handling space, a robot milker, a public viewing gallery, and 100 cows. Completion is expected in fall of 2012.
AgResearch opened the Ruminant Methane Measurement Centre is March of 2010 in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The expanded facility features 24 sheep preparedness chambers, sheep gas measurement units, and four cattle measurement crates. The building is air conditioned for optimal animal welfare with doors that will automatically open in the event of carbon dioxide buildup or power failure. The facility will enable researchers to study genetic factors for greenhouse gas production in ruminants. The center can house up to 150 sheep.
National Cheng Kung University Medical College opened its expanded Small Laboratory Animal Division in February of 2011. The facility includes a 3,552-sf animal breeding addition. The project provides a sterile environment with HEPA filtration and individually ventilated cages to house animals used in biomedical research.
Abaxis will open the 20,000-sf Veterinary Reference Laboratory in Olathe, Kansas. The lab will be located in the former Osborn Labs facility and will support collaboration with the Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and the National Institute for Strategic Technology Acquisition and Commercialization. The facility will test point-of-care blood analysis instruments as well as providing veterinary diagnostic analysis services.
