Bioscience Building Opens to Business

Cutting-edge molecular biology laboratories and office space for growing biotechnology businesses have been opened at the Babraham Research Campus. The Bennet Building, opened by Dr Menelas Pangalos, Executive Vice President at Astra Zeneca on Jan 19, was funded by BBSRC and is a flagship development in a £44M programme of public investment.

The facility is already let to two tenants: Kymab, which develops new antibody medicines, and Eagle Genomics, providing bio-informatics services and management of Big Data.

Dr Celia Caulcott, BBSRC Executive Director for Innovation and Skills, said: "The UK is a world leader for bioscience research, making contributions here and around the world in areas such as health, food and energy production. The Bennet Building allows scientists working on developing bioscience businesses to stay close to the excellent academic work taking place at the Babraham Research Campus, whilst providing the best facilities and support to help their companies to thrive.”

Derek Jones, Babraham Bioscience Technologies Chief Executive, said: "With around sixty companies at the Babraham Research Campus, we continue to be an important regional centre for commercial life science research. Co-location of world-class academic research carried out at the Babraham Institute, with early-stage and growing life science companies benefits both the academic science and the companies themselves, whether that is access to expertise and facilities, or the community that exists here."