Research and Development

PortaFab, a manufacturer of pre-engineered modular building systems, introduced the PharmaSystem cleanroom wall and ceiling solution in February of 2009. Providing an aseptic wall and ceiling system for new or renovated facilities, PharmaSystem utilizes a metal stud framework with walls hanging off one of both sides, creating a utility chase with a more economical panel. To create a smooth panel transition across the surface of a wall, panels have formed or cut edges to connect directly to one another and utilize a caulk joint, gel coat, or chemical weld.

Medical technology company Valeritas is engaged in an expansion of its laboratory facility in Shrewsbury, N.J. The expansion will add 2,000 sf of cleanroom and R&D space to Valeritas’ 21,000-sf facility. The construction manager for the project is Integrated Builders of Braintree, Mass. Valeritas, a manufacturer of drug delivery devices for diabetes treatment, is based is Parsippany, N.J.

Millipore opened the 8,000-sf Biomanufacturing Sciences and Training Center (BSTC) in Singapore in February of 2009. Located in Science Park in Buona Vista, the facility will provide training and support for Millipore’s biopharmaceutical customers in Asia. Millipore is a global life sciences company based in Billerica, Mass.

Texas Tech University Health Center is planning to construct the 150,000-sf Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso, Texas. The $65 million facility will support research in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, and diabetes.

Gallaudet University celebrated the opening of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory in Washington, D.C., in February of 2009. The building will provide research space for the departments of biology and chemistry and is specifically designed for deaf researchers. The open-plan lab houses environmental chambers, ultralow freezers, fume and sterile hoods, DNA gel equipment, and PCR thermocyclers for research in genetics, environmental science, and cancer. Construction began on the project in January of 2008 and reached completion in August of 2008.

Swansea University is planning to construct the £21.6 million Centre for NanoHealth on its Singleton campus in Swansea in the United Kingdom. Supported by £10 million in funding from the Convergence European Regional Development Fund, the integrated facility will enable researchers, clinicians, engineers, and industry partners to develop nanoscale technologies for the creation of advanced biomedical therapies. The Centre for NanoHealth will house interdisciplinary research on regenerative medicine such as tissue engineering utilizing adult stem cells.

Union College is planning to construct the $18 million Peter Irving Wold Science and Engineering Center in Schenectady, N.Y. The three-story, 35,000-sf facility will house labs and classrooms for biochemistry, environmental science, engineering, and energy research. The building will also house incubator research programs in acoustics and aerogel, a rooftop energy research laboratory, and a high performance computing laboratory. Construction is expected to begin in summer of 2009 and reach completion in fall of 2011.

Johannes Gutenberg University is planning to construct the €30 million Excellence Center for Life Sciences in Mainz, Germany. The 6,000-sm project will receive €100 million for operational support over ten years from Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. The biomedical research facility will be constructed in two phases, with the first phase opening in January of 2011.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas initiated the interior build-out of the Shadow Lane Biomedical Facility in January of 2009. Designed by SmithGroup of Phoenix with McCarthy as general contractor, the build-out includes modifying 31,200-sf of existing shell space into medical classrooms, laboratories, hospital simulation spaces, offices, and study rooms. McCarthy is also installing new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems as well as relocating an existing chiller and other mechanical equipment.

The University of Oxford opened the £5 million Jenner Institute Laboratories in February of 2009 in the United Kingdom. The facility features laboratories for vaccine research and development for diseases including malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and bird flu. The Jenner Institute is a partnership between Oxford University and the Institute for Animal Health (IAH). The facility integrates basic science research in immunology and genetics with clinical vaccine development and commercialization.

The College of William and Mary is engaged in a $25 million renovation and expansion of the William Small Physical Laboratory in Williamsburg, Va. Adding two new wings, the project will increase research lab space in the existing 67,000-sf facility from 11,300-sf to 23,000-sf. One wing will house high-bay space with an interior crane and the second wing will feature modular laboratories for ease of reconfiguration. The renovated facility will also include a computing lab for simulation and research, low vibration research space, and a cleanroom.

Kellogg Company is engaged in a $54 million expansion of the W.K. Kellogg Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Battle Creek, Mich. Slated for completion in fall of 2009, the expanded facility will encompass 400,000-sf of laboratory, office, and pilot plant manufacturing space. Kellogg is also planning to build a $25 million office tower in Battle Creek.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is planning to construct the $76 million Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) on the Charlotte Research Institute campus. Designed by Narmour Wright Creech Architects, the 200,000-sf collaborative teaching and research facility will house the departments of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Groundbreaking is expected in late summer of 2009 with completion slated for 2011.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Novartis a $486 million contract in early 2009 to build pandemic flu vaccine manufacturing facilities in Holly Springs, N.C. The funding will support the design, construction, and validation of flu vaccine production centers over the next eight years, enabling Novartis to supply 150 million doses of cell-based influenza vaccine within six months of the onset of a pandemic.

Intel is investing $3 billion to renovate its chip fabrication facilities in Chandler, Ariz. The project will combine two buildings, Fab 22 and Fab 32, to create an upgraded facility for the manufacture of 32-nanometer chips. The project is expected to reach completion by year-end 2010.