Higher Education

The University of California, Santa Barbara began research at the Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering in mid-2010. The $6.3 million laboratory was created by renovating 10,337 sf in the existing Biological Sciences 2 Facility. The collaborative stem cell research facility includes a core laboratory with a high-throughput sequencing apparatus, offices, conference rooms, and support. Additionally, the $6 million CIRM 2 (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine 2) is currently under construction with completion expected in June of 2011.

Montana State University's Eastern Agricultural Research Center broke ground on a $2.5 million facility in Sidney in July 28, 2010. The building will house three research labs, two greenhouses, offices, and a large meeting room. The general contractor for the 10,000-sf project is Fisher Construction.

Stony Brook University will construct an ABSL-3 research facility at the Health Sciences Center in Stony Brook, N.Y. Supported by $14.1 million in federal stimulus funding, the 16,140-sf facility will have a small animal suite, an insectary, and an imaging suite with an adjacent room for work with large animals. Accommodating research with select agents, the facility will include Class II biosafety cabinets, a pass-through cold room, cage and rack washers, ventilated animal housing equipment, and a pass-through autoclave.

Texas A&M University will build out 12,680 asf of shell space in the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building in College Station to house laboratories, equipment, and cold room space. Accommodating research in structural biology, synthetic chemistry, drug discovery, molecular virology, and cancer biology, the project will support collaborative translational research. The facility is supported by $3.5 million in federal stimulus funding and will meet LEED Silver sustainable design standards.

Temple University School of Medicine is planning to construct the 32,400-sf Institute for Translational Neuroscience in Philadelphia. Providing research laboratories for 31 faculty members, the contiguous research facility will be built in existing shell space on the eighth floor of an existing building. The project is supported by $11.8 million in federal stimulus funding. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.

Duke University will construct a two-story addition to its Central Vivarium in Durham, N.C., to provide large animal housing and procedure space. The 19,215-gsf (16,762-nsf) project will facilitate consolidation of USDA-covered species in a single vivarium and will enable sharing of advanced equipment. Designed to be fully integrated into Duke’s Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, the facility will house non-human primates, agricultural animals, and canines. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the addition.

East Tennessee State University is initiating a renovation of its basic science and clinical research facilities in Johnson City. Supported by $9.1 million in federal stimulus funding, the project will renovate laboratories in the 105,000-sf Building 119. Infrastructure upgrades will replace outdated mechanical and electrical systems and specialized laboratories will be constructed for microscopy, tissue culture, and animal research.

George Washington University will renovate 25,400 sf of existing space in Washington to create the Research Center for the Neglected Diseases of Poverty. Housing translational research facilities for the development of new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, the center will support the study of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and neglected infections of poverty (NIPs) such as hookworm, schistosomiasis, opisthorchiasis, and toxoplasmosis. The multidisciplinary project is supported by $15 million in federal stimulus funding.

Duke University will create a biomedical research facility in the Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences in Durham, N.C. Supported by $4.2 million in federal stimulus funding, the project includes conversion of existing shell space to house a vivarium, research laboratories, and offices. Supporting translational research for the development of advanced therapeutics, the facility will provide 2,520 mouse cages, 480 rat cages, and 40 cages for other species.

Georgia Gwinnett College opened its $28.3 million Library and Learning Center in Lawrenceville in July of 2010. The 91,000-sf facility features technology-rich classrooms, meeting spaces, a café, an atrium, and space for 300,000 volumes. The building also houses the Center for Teaching Excellence and Student Success.

Emory University will construct an ABSL-3 facility at Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. Supporting research on infectious diseases and transplant medicine, the project will include secure laboratories and nonhuman primate housing. Featuring specialized housing facilities for immunocompromised animals, the project will include separate air handling systems for the transplant medicine and ABSL3 areas to eliminate the possibility of cross contamination. Construction of the facility is supported by $14.8 million in federal stimulus funding.

Dublin City University will build the 3,000-sm Nano-Bioanalytical Research Facility adjacent to the National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology in Dublin. The facility will support research in translational nano-medicine and is supported by €23.8 million in government funding.

Medical University of South Carolina will renovate the second and third floors of its Basic Sciences Building in Charleston, S.C. Supported by $15 million in federal stimulus funding, the project will provide advanced laboratories for multidisciplinary research. A-13,700-sf area on the second floor will be renovated to provide labs for molecular therapy, biodefense, emerging infectious diseases, microbiology, and basic immunology. The third floor will provide 19,000 sf of pharmacology, drug discovery, and pharmacogenetics research space.

Michigan State University opened the Anaerobic Digester Research and Education Center in July of 2010 in East Lansing. The 6,000-sf facility will support the development of anaerobic digestion systems for small farms to convert animal manure to energy. Consolidating four laboratories previously housed in other locations, the ADREC houses research space, conference rooms, offices, and a high bay area for pilot-scale projects. Construction began on the facility in September of 2009.

Pennsylvania State University will begin construction in fall of 2010 on the $48.1 million Biobehavioral Health Building in University Park, Pa. Providing additional facilities for the College of Health and Human Services, the 93,500-sf building will house classrooms, offices, research space, and a 200-seat lecture hall. The project architect is Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. The four-story building will feature "green" roofs and is slated for completion in July of 2012.