Michael Smith Laboratories

Location:

2185 East Mall

Date:

Original construction: 1987
Expansion and renovation: 2004

Cost:

$30 million

Sources of funds:

B.C. Knowledge Development Fund; Canadian Foundation for Innovation, which assists universities in developing research infrastructure; Stewart Blusson; other private donors.

Architectural features:

This is a 7,400-square-metre, two-storey facility. Curving, coloured ribbons of glass spanning the 36-metre front window represent a DNA sequence particular to the research of UBC's Dr. Michael Smith, awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Includes a teaching lab and a 100-seat lecture theatre.

Name history:

Originally named the Biotechnology Laboratory, it was re-named after the late Dr. Michael Smith, Nobel Prize winner and professor from UBC, to recognize his extraordinary achievements and contribution.

Use history:

Biotechnology Laboratory, Bioinformatics Centre.

Notes:

This building houses the Biotechnology Laboratory which was originally founded by Smith in 1987. This laboratory focuses on research about human and animal molecular genetics, plant and forestry molecular genetics, and fermentation and bio-process engineering.There are 17 full-time and associate faculty members and almost 100 post-doctoral fellows, research associates and graduate students.
The building is the first on campus to use Voice Over IP, a technology that allows voice and data to travel on the same infrastructure so that researchers can plug in computers anywhere in the building, giving greater mobility between interdisciplinary labs and lowering operating costs.

Sources:

Public Affairs media releases database; UBC Reports

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