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Jan.
7 , 2002 (Lexington, Ky.) -- Ground
was broken today for the new University of Kentucky
Biomedical/Biological Sciences Research
Building. Construction on the $67.2 million, 185,000-square-foot
building is scheduled to begin in spring 2002, with
completion in the spring of 2004. The building, which
will have four floors of research space and a basement,
will be located on South Limestone Street across from
the Kentucky Clinic.
The building will provide state-of-the-art space
for researchers in the fields of neurosciences that
will include the development of a Neurosciences Institute
(including the Spinal
Cord and Brain Injury Research Center and sensory
biology), genetics and genomics, and vaccine development
and host resistance.
The Biomedical/Biological Sciences Research Building
is the first development of the West Campus.
The Kentucky General Assembly approved $39 million
for the building, with the remaining funding provided
by the University. This represents the largest capital
project UK has ever undertaken.
“This new facility reflects the University’s
commitment to promote human and economic development
through the extension and application of knowledge
and to continue to develop distinguished researchers,”
said UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. “Research
in this facility will greatly contribute to important
scientific advances as well as to regional economic
development.”
Researchers in the new facility will focus on:
Neurosciences – UK researchers are working
to understand typical brain function, which will assist
in future development of therapies for neurological
diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease
or Parkinson’s disease. Researchers in the Spinal
Cord and Brain Injury Research Center at UK also
are working to understand the effect of severe injuries
to the spinal cord and brain, and to develop clinical
approaches for the recovery of patients who have suffered
such injuries.
Genetics and Genomics – Knowing which
genes are activated or suppressed in diseases or conditions
can provide targets for new therapies. UK researchers
are using the latest technologies, such as DNA microarray
analyses, to compare expression of thousands of genes
simultaneously.
Vaccine Development and Host Resistance –
Resistance to antibiotics, newly recognized diseases,
immunosuppression due to cancer or transplantation,
and the recognition that many diseases thought to
be non-infectious are caused or worsened by microbes,
infectious disease research now reaches into many
new areas. Clinical research efforts in this field
include studies of new antimicrobial agents and new
vaccines, while laboratory research focuses on immune
responses to viruses, bacteria and parasites, as well
as studies of how microbes develop resistance to antimicrobial
treatments.
Along with contributing to scientific advances,
UK’s research program also plays a critical role
in regional economic development and has a tremendous
impact on the state’s economy. According to
a model by the UK
Center for Business and Economic Research, research
grants and contracts from out-of-state sources resulted
in a $327.7
million contribution to the Kentucky economy in fiscal
year 2000-2001.
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