New facilities enhance collaboration to accelerate real world impact

Teaching and research facilities for the Faculty of Biological Sciences (FBS) have been boosted following the completion of a major refurbishment programme.

State-of-art, world-class research space will facilitate even greater collaborative work

Faculty of Biological Sciences refurbishment. April 2021

Improvements have created a new flexible model for open laboratory and office environments on Levels 4 and 9 of the Grade II listed Garstang Building, providing state-of-art, world-class research space that will facilitate even greater collaborative work.

Professor Karen Birch, Executive Dean for the Faculty of Biological Sciences, said: “This new environment will enable enhanced collaborative research to underpin our vision of exploring biological challenges to accelerate real world impact and translation.

“What a great environment in which to work and develop the science leaders of the future!”

Faculty of Biological Sciences refurbishment. April 2021

Professor Karen Birch, Executive Dean for the Faculty of Biological Sciences, outside the renovated building

Knowledge sharing

FBS consists of three schools: Biomedical Sciences, Biology and Molecular and Cell Biology. The newly refurbished facilities on Level 4 are mainly used for the study of microbiology, while those on Level 9 will be occupied by 12 research groups working on structural, cellular and molecular biology. More than half of these colleagues are focussed on virology – ranging from DNA cancer-causing viruses to Ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses that cause dengue, chikungunya and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever – as well as developing vaccines against polio and foot-and-mouth disease.

Housing these seemingly disparate research groups within the same lab space will increase collaborations and knowledge sharing, helping to further our research impact. Other joint research covers developmental biology, immunology and structural biology.

Post-doctoral researchers and PhD students will also have access to the superb new labs and equipment, while undergraduate and Masters students will be using the facilities whilst undertaking their research projects.

Professor Birch added: “We’re all delighted this phase of the development of the faculty is complete.

“Seeing the finished design is really exciting and stimulates the imagination for pushing the boundaries of biomedical research. I’m particularly thrilled that our excellent scientists, from postgraduates to faculty academics, will experience working in such a high-quality, modern, airy and stimulating space.”

Find out more about the amazing work going on in FBS by visiting the faculty’s website.

Faculty of Biological Sciences refurbishment. April 2021

Renovations have created a “high-quality, modern, airy and stimulating space”

Exciting new environment

The refurbishment will also help reduce our energy consumption and carbon footprint, through upgrades including window replacement and improved heating, cooling and ventilation.

The new facilities will be fully fitted out next month.

Sarah Bacsich, Estates Project Manager, said: “Throughout the delivery of this project, it has been a pleasure to work with a team of dedicated staff from the faculty – everyone has remained committed to the project despite the challenges we met along the way.

“Looking ahead, the improvements and new facilities on Levels 4 and 9 now provide an exciting new environment for the Faculty of Biological Sciences’ research staff and students. This new home will encourage new ways of working to champion ground-breaking research.”

Faculty of Biological Sciences refurbishment. April 2021

Improvements have created a new flexible model for open laboratory and office environments

Take a virtual tour

Our video provides a digital walk-through of the new facilities in more detail or visit the Campus Developments website for further information and latest updates.

Posted in: