Research and Development

McGill University opened the $73 million Life Sciences Complex (LSC) in Montreal, Quebec, on September 24, 2008. The project is comprised of the Francesco Bellini Life Sciences Building and the Cancer Research Building. The interdisciplinary research complex will accommodate 60 scientists from McGill's Faculties of Science and Medicine and McGill University Health Centre. Research will focus on five biomedical areas: chemical biology, cancer, genetics of complex traits, cell information transfer systems, and developmental and reproductive biology.

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility has received $310 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to upgrade the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility in Newport News, Va. The project includes construction of a new experimental hall and the renovation of the three existing experimental halls, as well as increasing the accelerated electron beam to 12 billion electron volts. Completion is slated for 2015.

Queensland University of Technology opened the $10.7 million Medical Engineering and Research Facility at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane in September of 2008. The translational research facility will support collaboration between medical specialists and biomedical researchers in areas such as orthopaedic medicine, critical care, and artificial organs. Enabling surgeons and researchers to develop new methods and technologies on donor bodies, the project will foster biomedical innovation as well as providing medical training for healthcare professionals.

Nottingham Trent University completed the £1.4 million Anthony Nolan Trust Cord Blood Centre at its Clifton campus in Nottingham in September of 2008. The combined blood bank and research center was built by Clean Modules Ltd and includes cleanroom facilities for processing and cryogenic storage. The project meets EU GMP and GLP regulations and will house stem cell donations from umbilical cords and placentas for disease treatment and research.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia’s $400 million Colket Translational Research Building is slated for completion in 2010. Sited on Children's Hospital's South Campus, the 450,000-sf, eleven-story facility will include four laboratory floors, administrative offices, a cafeteria, conference space, and a two-story lobby. Four below-grade floors will house infrastructure, laboratory support, and a central utility plant.

General Motors initiated construction on a $250 million R&D facility in Shanghai in September of 2008. The 120,000-sm building will house the company’s China and Asia Pacific headquarters and the GM Center for Advanced Research and Science. Accommodating research in alternative-energy propulsion systems and alternative fuels, the first phase of the project is expected to open in late 2009.

DuPont opened the Biotech Research Center in September of 2008 in Hyderabad, India. Located at the DuPont Knowledge Center, the facility will support research in crop genetics and industrial biotechnology for DuPont Agriculture & Nutrition and DuPont Applied BioSciences. Additional facilities at the DuPont Knowledge Center will open in successive months to house a total of 600 scientists and engineers when the complex is dedicated by year-end 2008.

Simon Fraser University opened the $56.9 million Blusson Hall in Vancouver, B.C., in September of 2008. The 12,000-sm facility houses open wet and dry laboratories, classrooms, offices, seminar rooms, a lecture hall, and a computer lab. The three-story, U-shaped complex is constructed around a central courtyard and is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The LEED Silver project features a green roof, solar shading, radiant-floor heating, and abundant natural light.

The University of Kentucky broke ground on a $28.5 million expansion and renovation of the Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center in Lexington in September of 2008. The project will include the construction of a necropsy laboratory wing and an administrative wing, nearly doubling the size of the existing 38,000-sf building, which will be completely renovated. The facility will also switch to alkaline digestion for tissue disposal. Completion is expected by 2010.

Philadelphia-based FMC Corp. is relocating to 117,000-sf of laboratory, office, and greenhouse space in Ewing, N.J., in fall of 2009. The research and development facility, sited on 26 acres in the PrincetonSouth Corporate Center, is being developed by Opus East. The building will house 230 scientists, lab technicians, and administrative personnel. FMC Corp. manufactures industrial and agricultural chemicals.

The Nevada Cancer Institute is building the 183,378-sf Ralph and Betty Engelstad Cancer Research Building in Las Vegas. Slated for completion in late 2009, the $63 million, three-story facility will house 36 laboratories, including a core clinical research lab. The project team includes developer American Nevada Corp. and construction manager The Korte Co.

The University of Iowa is constructing the $120 million Institute for Biomedical Discovery in Iowa City. Located next to the Carver Biomedical Research Building, the 200,000-sf facility will house laboratories for biomedical, life science, and stem cell research. The project broke ground in September of 2007 and will include the $25 million Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center. 

Novartis opened the 80,000-sf Research Center of Excellence in Virology in Cambridge, Mass., on Sept 13, 2008. The BSL-3 facility houses laboratory and office space for an additional 150 employees. The project will accommodate vaccine research for diseases such as influenza and HIV.

Quintiles Transnational Corp. is expanding its Asia-Pacific operations with a new regional headquarters in Singapore. Housing the Central Laboratory and its Clinical Development Services, the 80,000-sf facility is located in the Cintech IV building now under construction in Science Park One. Occupancy is slated for mid-2009. Quintiles is a contract research organization that provides clinical trials outsourcing and management.

The University of Wisconsin, Madison opened the $134 million Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research East Tower in September of 2008. Housing the Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, the seven-story, $185 million biomedical research facility includes multiple cancer specialties, core laboratory space, advanced imaging and radiation, surgery, and pharmacology research. One of three planned towers, the project will be accompanied by a second tower dedicated to neurosciences, cardiovascular health, and regenerative and molecular medicine.