Research and Development

Purdue University will begin construction in summer of 2012 on the $28.7 million Drug Discovery Facility in West Lafayette, Ind. Located in the Purdue Life and Health Sciences Park, the project will feature open labs for cancer cell biology, therapeutic and medical device development, cell-based screening, medicinal chemistry, and next-generation imaging. The construction cost of the project is $23.6 million. The facility will be attached to the existing Bindley Bioscience Center and is supported by $14.9 million in federal funding. 

The University of Utah dedicated the $130 million James L. Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building in April of 2012. The multidisciplinary research facility was designed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent in association with Prescott Muir Architects and houses the Brain Institute, the Nano Institute of Utah, and the Department of Bioengineering.

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging opened the $36.5 million Regenerative Medicine Research Center in April of 2012 in Novato, Calif. Designed by Perkins+Will of San Francisco, the 65,600-sf stem cell research facility provides 12 open labs, cell and tissue storage space, offices, and a fitness center. The building is three stories tall with a basement and features a geothermal heating and cooling system.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. broke ground in April of 2012 on a fifth phase of expansion at Fab 14 GigaFab in Taiwan. The facility will provide commercialized 20-nanometer process technology when it begins volume production in early 2014. Upon completion, a sixth phase of expansion will commence at Fab 14 for a combined construction value of $11.6 billion. The two phases will provide a total of 936,460 sf of cleanroom space. 

A 56,065-gsf expansion of the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) opened in April of 2012 in Boulder, Colo. The project provides JILA, a research partnership of the University of Colorado and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with additional vibration-mitigated laboratory space. In addition to a wide range of studies in atomic, molecular, and optical physics, JILA also makes extremely precise measurements of ultrafast processes and at ultralow temperatures.

Missouri University of Science and Technology will begin construction in fall of 2012 on the $22.3 million James E. Bertelsmeyer Hall in Rolla. The three-story, 68,500-sf facility will house the department of chemical and biological engineering. Designed by Clark Enersen Partners of Kansas City, Bertelsmeyer Hall will provide teaching and research labs, lecture halls, offices, student lounges, and mechanical suites. Completion is expected in May of 2014.

Animal health company Idexx Laboratories broke ground in April of 2012 on a $35.5 million expansion of its corporate headquarters in Westbrook, Maine. A 107,000-sf building will be constructed adjacent to Idexx's existing facility. Accommodating 300 employees, the project will allow Idexx to expand R&D operations. Completion is expected in August of 2013.

Swansea University completed construction of a seven-story, 64,583-sf dual-function research facility in March of 2012. The $46.33 million Institute of Life Science Phase II houses clinical research space, an imaging suite with MRI and CT scanners, and the Centre for Health Informatics, Research and Evaluation. The $35.14 Centre for NanoHealth is located on the ground floor of the building and provides advanced labs, a cleanroom, and nano-probe and e-beam instrumentation. The facility features a full-height glazed atrium, business incubator space, and a cafe.

Cubist Pharmaceuticals has completed a 104,000-sf expansion of its headquarters facility in Lexington, Mass. The Richmond Group managed the design/build project, which provides additional laboratories for the development of antibiotics and acute care products. Due to site restrictions and the existing building's footprint, the most cost effective solution for expansion was to build vertically.

HighRes Biosolutions announced the release of the ACell benchtop laboratory automation system in March of 2012. ACell is small enough for typical benchtop integrations and flexible enough for larger integrations on existing or new custom tables. ACell can incorporate a MicroDock, HighRes' patented device docking station, allowing swapping of instruments (such as a reader or pipettor) almost instantly, without having to reteach the robot or position and reconnect instruments manually.

The University of North Florida dedicated the $39.4 million Biological Sciences Building in March of 2012 in Jacksonville. The 116,500-sf facility provides 17 teaching labs, 37 offices, and 28 faculty research labs for the study of ecology, genetics, molecular biology, aquatics, physiology, and virology. Designed by a joint venture of Perkins + Will and Harvard Jolly, the building also houses four lecture halls, conference rooms, a necropsy lab, and a greenhouse. Construction began on the four-story project in July of 2010.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis broke ground on the $25 million Science and Engineering Laboratory Building in March of 2012. Supporting programs in biomedical engineering, psychobiology, information technology, and renewable energy research, the 81,500-gsf project will house teaching and research labs, meeting rooms, and administration. The facility will include nearly 34,000-sf of research and classroom space.

Temple University will begin construction in June of 2012 on a $137 million science and research building in Philadelphia. Designed by USA Architects, the 250,000-sf facility will include a 400-seat lecture hall, technology-rich classrooms, research labs, faculty offices, conference rooms, and an atrium. Completion is expected in spring of 2014. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which will feature light shelves for daylight harvesting and a storm water management system. 

Valent BioSciences Corporation broke ground on a $146 million biorational manufacturing facility in March of 2012 in Osage, Iowa. Biorationals are products derived from natural or biological origins that are highly specific in their activity and have low impact on workers and the environment. The biorational industry has achieved steady growth in agriculture as awareness about needs for sustainable solutions in food production and distribution has increased.

The University of Texas at Dallas is planning to build an $85 million Bioengineering and Sciences facility. The project will provide classrooms, faculty offices, and laboratories for teaching and research. Construction will begin in November of 2013 with completion expected in December of 2015.