Industry News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture broke ground on an insect nursery in May of 2011 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Located at the Agricultural Research Service's Invasive Plant Research Laboratory, the $16.7 million annex will be used to breed insects used as biocontrols for invasive plant species. Construction will begin in July of 2011 with completion expected in September of 2012. 

Wickham Laboratories will open a new animal research campus in Gosport in June of 2011. Formerly occupied by Wyeth, the six-building site will provide laboratories, offices, security, and warehouse space. The main three-story facility is 42,100 sf. Wickham Laboratories is a contract research organization based in Wickham, U.K.

Tarleton State University opened the $11.2 million Southwest Regional Dairy Center in May of 2011. The teaching and research facility is located in Stephenville, Texas, and houses 300 cows. The center will promote collaborative industry partnerships for the development of sustainable dairy practices. A planned second phase will include a bottling facility and a creamery.

The University of California, Davis broke ground on the $58.5 million Veterinary Medicine Research Facility 3B on April 29, 2011. The four-story, 76,000-sf facility will support interdisciplinary research on human, animal, and environmental health issues. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project. Completion is expected in December of 2012.

Spring Valley Laboratories opened its advanced surgical center for animal research in April of 2011 in Woodbine, Md. Located in a GLP-compliant facility, the surgical suite includes a dual station operating room, designated animal prep and recovery areas, a dark room, and a four-station necropsy suite. Spring Valley Laboratories is a contract research organization. The Woodbine facility provides indoor specific pathogen free (SPF) barrier animal housing for small and large animal models.