Stem cell research center to open at UC Davis med center

Friday, March 5, 2010, 10:13am PST
Stem cell research center to open at UCD med center
Sacramento Business Journal - by Kathy Robertson Staff writer

UC Davis will open a $62 million stem cell facility Wednesday at its medical center campus in Sacramento.

The 90,000-square-foot facility is the first major stem cell laboratory supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to open in the state.

The state’s stem cell agency provided $20 million for the project, which involved renovation of an existing building and construction of a unique laboratory to help speed development of stem cell treatment testing.

The facility, located at 2921 Stockton Blvd., will be the hub for regenerative medicine at UC Davis. The campus has received 15 grants from the institute totaling more than $49 million.

The new facility includes laboratories and related research space, including the largest Good Manufacturing Practice facility in Northern California. The federally certified suite of lab rooms will enable researchers to safely prepare cellular therapies for clinical trials.

Initial construction of the building, originally part of the old California State Fairgrounds, took less than two years. About 54,000-square-feet has been redesigned for more than a dozen senior scientists and about 115 other researchers, technicians and laboratory support personnel.

The remaining unfinished portions of the building will be completed as new grants and funds become available.