Haven’t you always wondered where cutting-edge medical research happens? Right here at the Anne McLaren Building in Cambridge. It is a hub of biomedical innovation. This facility stands on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The campus is the largest center for medical research and health science in Europe.
The Anne McLaren Building is named after the professor. She was a leading authority on mammalian genetics. She helped develop techniques that led to IVF. Inside, teams of scientists explore how diseases occur. They focus on conditions like cancer, dementia, and diabetes. Their global effort aims to develop new treatments.
The Anne McLaren Building was built to expand the University’s capabilities. It pioneers modern medicines, vaccines, and surgical techniques. The building prioritizes animal and staff welfare. This commitment is reflected in its innovative engineering services.
As compliance managers, Hoare Lea collaborated with the University of Cambridge. They worked with representatives of the building user group. The goal was to ensure MEP installations met contractual requirements. These requirements included the university’s own design standards.
Laboratories and workspaces promote cross-collaboration. The building includes specialized environments. These are a Barrier Secure Unit, Containment Level 3 Suites, a Germ Free Lab, and an Irradiator. Each lab floor is serviced by an interstitial plantroom above. This plantroom delivers various services to each space.
During the recent pandemic, the Anne McLaren Building adapted rapidly. One floor transformed into a large-scale testing facility. It was capable of delivering up to 30,000 tests per day. A separate temporary welfare facility provided a safe space for staff. The team condensed review periods from weeks to hours. They met an ambitious one-week deadline. The facility contributed to nationwide efforts to investigate and contain the spread of the virus.
Tecniplast was selected to equip the Anne McLaren Building. The University aimed to develop a facility. It would have the highest level of animal and staff welfare. It could consistently produce high-quality scientific research. Efficiency and cost-effectiveness were also key. Tecniplast met all these requirements. Sustainability was another key criterion for the University of Cambridge.
The Anne McLaren Building can hold up to 25,000 mouse IVC cages. These cages support researchers in developing medical breakthroughs. Tecniplast’s Greenline and Emerald Line IVCs provide housing for rodent colonies. Air handling units continually monitor and control the air within the housing system.
The facility houses the Cosmos. It is the latest in IVC Washing Automation. This automated system opens, empties, and washes used IVC cages. It refills clean cages with bedding and re-assembles them. The throughput is 300 complete cages per hour.
PSP Architectural produced the COR-TEN bespoke modular sub-structure and architectural feature fins. The COR-TEN steel provides a strong visual accent. It reflects the surrounding landscape through its earthy tones. The COR-TEN cladding contrasts with the stone below. It also contrasts with the PSP Aluminium unitised glazing.
The Anne McLaren Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine is located in the West Forvie Building. It builds on expertise in understanding stem cells in model systems. It provides a platform for clinical applications. These include transplantation, drug discovery and testing. They also include drugs to boost the body’s own stem cells.