The United States Department of Agriculture’s annual summary report on animal welfare has revealed that the number of animals used in biomedical research rose by seven percent in 2016, from 767,622 in 2015 to 820,812. However, the number of animals held but not used in research decreased by 69 percent from 445,972 in 2015 to 137,444.
Texas A&M University broke ground in June of 2017 on the $70 million headquarters of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). Located on the RELLIS campus in Bryan, the 190,000-sf facility will provide advanced engineering research facilities for the creation of transportation technologies and strategies for the optimization of infrastructure, construction materials, driver safety, and automated vehicles. The building will include a single-story research wing with a vehicle simulator lab, a three-story conference wing, and a multi-story tower.
Merrick & Company has launched an independent forum to advance the issues of biosafety and biosecurity in the laboratory and in the field. The Merrick Biosafety and Biosecurity Consulting Advisory Board (BS&S CAB) will provide clients and associates with direct access to experts and publications in the fields of biosafety, biosecurity, threat management, public policy, developing technologies, and international issues.
The University of Kansas is engaged in a $4 million renovation project to create the National Security Laboratory in Lawrence. Sited on the basement level of the Bioscience and Technology Business Center on the West Campus, the 7,000-sf facility will support collaborative research with the Department of Defense and other government agencies on radar, remote sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles, signal processing, and sensors. The secure laboratory will accommodate up to 40 employees and is expected to open in spring of 2018.
The Province of Alberta will begin construction in fall of 2017 on the $1.4 billion Calgary Cancer Centre. Designed by Stantec and DIALOG, the project will provide over two million square feet of space for research, treatment, and educational services. The facility will offer 160 inpatient beds, 15 radiation vaults, outpatient clinics, research labs, a clinical trials unit, and a 1,650-stall underground parking garage. The construction manager for the design-build project is PCL Construction.
The University of Colorado will begin construction in July of 2018 on the $61.4 million William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in Colorado Springs. Created in partnership with Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, an affiliate of Centura Health, the 104,000-sf facility will provide classrooms, research labs, and clinics for sports medicine, imaging, pain management, athletic training, and physical and occupational therapy.
The University of Texas at San Antonio broke ground on the $95 million Science and Engineering Building in June of 2017. Designed by TreanorHL and Alamo Architects to promote interaction and collaboration, the multidisciplinary facility will provide research labs, teaching labs, active learning classrooms, and faculty offices to support programs in chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, and neurology.
All lab work—experiments, equipment usage, write-ups—occurs on countertops, but these flat horizontal surfaces are rapidly changing. “Today, lab work surfaces need to be adaptable, flexible, ergonomic, mobile, reconfigurable, versatile, sustainable, design-oriented, aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective, and easy to install,” says Arnulf Penker, president of FunderMax, a designer and producer of wood-based materials and compact laminates in St. Veit an der Glan, Austria.
Monsanto is planning to build a $30 million agricultural research facility in Greenwood, Mo. Supporting the processing, packaging, and distribution of seeds, the 140,000-sf project will integrate advanced automation systems in its third year of operations. Construction will begin on the facility in August of 2017 with occupancy in early 2018.
Bowie State University opened the $102 million Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing in June of 2017 in Bowie, Md. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 149,000-sf facility provides a clinical simulation center, undergraduate teaching labs, a plant sciences greenhouse, and a three-story elliptical multipurpose space with 25,000 sf of dynamic window glazing.
The University of Luxembourg is building an animal research facility on its Belval campus in Esch-sur-Alzette. Supporting research programs in neurology, oncology, and immunology, the project will provide two breeding rooms, three surgical suites, three behavioral rooms, and vivarium space for approximately 6,000 mice and rats. Construction began on the facility in December of 2016 and occupancy is expected in September of 2017.
United Technologies Corporation (UTC) is planning to build a $75 million additive manufacturing research center in East Hartford, Conn. The 185,000-sf facility will support the creation of advanced components for the aerospace industry using 3D printing technologies. A $40 million engine compressor research building will also be constructed. Additionally, UTC opened a $60 million, 185,000-sf innovation hub in May of 2017, for which LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought.
The University of Tennessee opened the 268,000-sf Strong Hall Science Laboratory in Knoxville in May of 2017. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative and Lewis Group Architects, the $114 million renovation project created a flexible, interdisciplinary facility to house the departments of anthropology and earth and planetary sciences, as well as providing teaching and research space for the departments of biology and chemistry.
Jinyu Bio-technology will break ground in July of 2017 on a vaccine research facility in the Kansas State University Office Park. Supporting the development of new animal health products, the project will include a 2,400-sf lab, three offices, and 800 sf of cleanroom space. Completion is expected in 2018. The siting of the lab near the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, currently under construction, will support research and development synergies with government, academic, and industry partners. Jinyu Bio-technology is based in Hohhot, China.
The University of Southern California completed construction in June of 2017 on the $185 million Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience in Los Angeles. The 190,000-sf translational research facility offers collaborative labs and offices for 30 principal investigators, as well as housing a 7,200-sf microscopy imaging suite and a 10,000-sf nanofabrication cleanroom offering Class 100 and 1,000 capabilities.
