Industry News

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, a developer of adult stem cell technologies, began constructing an animal research facility at its headquarters in Petach-Tikvah, Israel in late 2007. Housing laboratories for preclinical therapeutics research, the vivarium and cleanroom facility will be built to meet National Institutes of Health and National Research Council guidelines.

The University of California, Berkeley is planning a $130 million renovation of its Clark Kerr campus. The project will include renovation of seven of the 20 buildings on the historic campus as well as upgrades to the existing steam plant and auditorium building. The renovation will be developed in two phases; each 97,000-sf phase is expected to reach completion in 10 to 11 months.

The University of Florida is partnering with Alexandria Real Estate Equities to construct approximately 160,000-sf of life science and technology incubator space on the University’s Gainesville campus. The first 80,000-sf facility will be called The Innovation Center and will begin construction in 2008. Completion is slated for 2010. The building will feature flexible and adaptable laboratory and office space. A second facility will be built within several years.

Harvard University opened the $155 million Laboratory for Integrated Science and Engineering (LISE) in Cambridge in November of 2007. Sited mostly underground, the building includes a 10,000-sf cleanroom with advanced filtration capabilities and vibration-isolated architecture. Designed by Rafael Moneo, LISE features open spaces for spontaneous researcher interaction and collaboration.

Sanofi-aventis initiated construction in fall of 2007 on a $60 million pharmaceutical research center in Oro Valley, Arizona. The 110,000-sf facility is slated for completion in 2009 and will seek LEED certification. The project contractor is Chestnut Construction of Tucson. The building will house approximately 105 researchers engaged in early stage drug development.