Case Study: Integrated protein production & crystallography suite
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Contract Scope:
The new facility combined four scientific areas comprising flexible laboratory, x-ray/crystallography, a cold laboratory and a heavy instrument room. Designed in line with cGLP, the project value was £800k.
The main building remained fully operational whilst this project was undertaken, and all outages were planned and agreed to ensure minimal impact on long-term scientific studies.
The project was carried out on a fast-track basis and was started, completed, commissioned and handed over within 14 weeks.
The existing laboratory space was stripped back to the base shell and remodelled to provide a flexible working space. New walls were erected, GRP doors installed, vinyl flooring laid and full-height glazed partitions installed to separate the x-ray diffraction suite.
The existing ventilation systems were extensively modified to suit the new requirements, including the installation of a new full fresh AHU which served the flexi-laboratory through a ventilated ceiling. Extract air was provided via ceiling-mounted circular spigots, designed to accommodate future microbiological cabinets.
A new cold laboratory was constructed, comprising an insulated metal-faced partitioning system and a dedicated AHU to deliver approximately 100 air changes of air per hour, via textile air-socks to maintain the laboratory at 5º Celsius.
The existing laboratory gases—nitrogen, argon, vacuum and instrument air—were extended to serve new ceiling-mounted pendants and to maintain the flexible design philosophy. Site-purified water was extended to the laboratory to serve high-quality water polishers.
Existing electrical services were stripped back and modified to suit the new layout, including lighting, small power, data and telephone services. A 60Kva UPS was also installed to provide back-up for sensitive equipment.
