University news

‎Construction of a new virus research centre has got underway at the University of Glasgow’s Garscube Campus.

The £20 million Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow (CVR) will bring scientists researching viruses and viral diseases in humans and animals together under one roof.

The Centre, established in 2010 and headed by Director Professor Massimo Palmarini, will provide modern facilities and laboratories for research themes covering emerging viruses, innate and intrinsic immunity to virus infection, hepatitis C virus, viruses and cancer, structural virology, viral genomics and bioinformatics.

It will receive £28m over the next five years from the MRC with an additional £10m from the University. The Wellcome-Wolfson Capital Awards Initiative also invested £4.8m in the Centre.

Prof Palmarini said: “We are very excited that work has started on the construction of a dedicated building for the Centre.

“The building will provide us with the kind of facilities we need to produce top-quality research in the field of human and animal diseases and tackle questions about viruses at all levels – from the structure of viruses themselves to their spread through animal and human populations.

“We are very grateful to the MRC and Wellcome-Wolfson Capital Initiative for their support and funding and eager to start work in the new premises.”

The building, designed by Sheppard Robson Architects, supported by Arup engineering and cost managers Sweett Group, will be built by Laing O’Rourke and is scheduled for completion by June 2014. 

The University, committed to sustainability in design and delivery, aims to achieve BREEAM Excellent status on completion.

Professor Neal Juster, Vice-Principal for Strategy and Resources at the University of Glasgow, said: “The CVR will be a wonderful new addition to our facilities at Garscube and provide modern facilities for a hugely important research theme.

“As a University we are committed to investing in our facilities and estate to ensure our staff and students have the best environment in which to carry out their globally-recognised research.”

Leader of Laing O’Rourke’s Scotland operations said: “Drawing upon UK-wide experience delivering specialist laboratories for prestigious organisations, Laing O’Rourke is delighted to be selected as the partner of choice to deliver this high quality, safe and environmentally-friendly research facility for the Medical Research Council and The University of Glasgow.”

The University of Glasgow was awarded funding from the MRC following a UK-wide call for bids the host the centre which attracted 12 applications. A panel of virology experts from around the world judged that Glasgow had the strongest case and recommended it for support. A funding decision was made by the Council of the MRC in May 2009.

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For more information contact Stuart Forsyth in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office on 0141 330 4831 or email stuart.forsyth@glasgow.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

MRC Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow http://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/cvr/

 

First published: 26 November 2012