Construction of the new CSCB building was completed two weeks ahead of schedule and researchers have been establishing working laboratories in the building since mid-August. This new facility for research in synthesis and chemical biology was funded under a €26 million grant from the Higher Education Authority through the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI).
The building, designed by architects Robinson Keefe & Devane and constructed by J. J. Rhatigan, took 14 months to complete. Complementing the style of the existing UCD Chemistry building to which it is linked, the CSCB building comprises six identical state-of-the art laboratories and write-up rooms on three floors. This is in addition to instrumentation rooms, administrative offices and meeting rooms. A striking feature of the building is the forty eight fume hoods required to carry out the type of research involved and the design of the associated air handling systems.
A new Professor of Chemical Biology will shortly be appointed with responsibility for the development of a new degree programme and research in chemical biology. This appointment, together with the provision of core facilities through the opening of the CSCB building, are seen as vital components in the research continuum of the UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research. They promise to strengthen the interface between chemistry and biology with the potential to deliver therapeutic targets for the treatment of human and animal disease.
Further information is available from the CSCB website.
