Located in the West end of ORNL in the new Marilyn Lloyd Environmental and Life Sciences Complex, the facility will support ORNL-based research in mouse genetics - primarily in molecular biology techniques. The new laboratory, to be completed in May 2000, will allow researchers to understand the function of mouse genes, which can serve as models for human genetic diseases.
"Today is a milestone day in the history of this laboratory's Life Sciences Division,'' said Dr. Barry Bervin, associate division director. "This new building will enable us to begin the new millennium with state-of-the-art facilities."
The Environmental and Life Sciences Laboratory will have seven molecular biology labs and two general purpose laboratories. There will also be a lab to conduct tissue culture research.
"We will be able to conduct more and better genetics research in this new building and extend the rich legacy of basic biological research at ORNL," Bervin said.
The laboratory is the first of three buildings planned in the Lloyd complex. ORNL is projecting the construction of a $13.3 million Laboratory for Comparative and Functional Genomics to be completed by September 2003. The 70,000-mouse colony, housed at the Y-12 Plant for more than 50 years, will be moved to this building. The 40,000-square-foot facility will be able to house up to 100,000 mice.
A $20 million Center for Biological Sciences is also planned. This multipurpose office and laboratory facility is slated to be operational by December 2004 and will support ORNL's life sciences research.
The groundbreaking is the first step in moving the entire ORNL Life Sciences Division to the ORNL site.
ORNL is a DOE multiprogram research facility and is managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation.
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