Bauerle This facilities modernization award will help renovate about 11,500 square feet of research space in the Department of Biology at the University of Virginia. The project will renovate the basic electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection systems of the two research floors of Gilmer Hall. It will also help renovate the research labs of five faculty members and provide for construction of common support facilities on each floor, including cold rooms, equipment rooms and media kitchens. Research in the targeted spaces will be multidisciplinary, addressing fundamental questions in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, developmental biology, and population and evolutionary biology. All of the laboratories will be training centers for postdoctoral fellows and graduate and undergraduate students. The improvements will result in increased efficiency in space utilization, will provide for laboratory facilities appropriate for current research activities and will bring the affected areas of the building into compliance with current fire safety and handicapped access codes, thereby establishing a safer, healthier, more productive work environment for all occupants.
