State of Georgia
Staff of the public health laboratories in south Georgia have moved into a new facility that serves the area with modern testing equipment and provides surge capacity for the State's larger Georgia Public Health Laboratory in Decatur, a suburb of Atlanta. The new Georgia Public Health Laboratory in Waycross is a smaller "sister" lab to the Decatur facility.

Free through today only!

Process Optimization and Streamlined Layouts Save Time and Money
With more than 2,000 patient service centers and 30 regional laboratories nationwide, Quest Diagnostics is the leading provider of diagnostic medical testing, information, and services in the U.S., and one of the world's largest clinical laboratories. The $6.5-billion corporation was one of the healthcare industry's early adopters of Six Sigma, implementing the methodology in 2000 and achieving significant gains. However, Quest Diagnostics didn't stop there.

Renovation of the Main Group Prepares for a New Era of Scientific Discovery
The drive to create cutting-edge, environmentally sustainable research facilities can also contribute to a suburbanization effect at universities around the country where new high-tech facilities are built at the outer edges of campus while older buildings at the center are downgraded to classrooms and administrative office space. In many cases, restoring historic campus space is often the most valuable and environmentally sustainable option. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently confronted this challenge on a master plan to revitalize the Institute's iconic "Main Group," a network of historic buildings in the center of its campus that constitutes more than one-million sf of space, including the Institute's signature domed structure.

Study Shows MicroVent 140-cage Rack System Highly Effective at Controlling Allergens
A recent study was commissioned to evaluate the allergen capture efficiency and in-cage environmental conditions provided by an operational 140-cage MicroVent rack system. Testing was conducted following a testing protocol developed by an independent third party. All sample collection and data assessment was performed by a certified industrial hygienist. This study included measurement of three airborne contaminants as well as in-cage temperature and humidity levels. The contaminants were Mouse Urine Protein (MUP, Mus m 1), ammonia, and carbon dioxide. The contaminant assessment was conducted over a period of 12 days.

New York City Medical Examiner's Office Utilizes Approach in New High-Rise
The new 15-story Forensic Biology Lab for New York City's Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) utilizes a vertical layout that connects related operations based on laboratory processes rather than the traditional departmental setup. Flexible workspace and design features that promote connectivity allow the OCME to increase staffing and workload, while maintaining efficiency and preserving the integrity of forensic evidence.

New Concept to Serve as Model for Emergency Medical Readiness Centers
ER One is a federally funded initiative launched in 1999 to design a new type of all-risks ready emergency care facility capable of handling the medical consequences of terrorism, emerging illnesses, or epidemics.

University of California, San Diego
Built in 1969 to accommodate a user population of approximately 800, the $17 million expansion and renovation of the 32,950-sf Biomedical Library at the University of California, San Diego, includes an additional 43,454 sf of space, today providing services to more than 4,000 students.

Florida State University
Florida State University's new science quadrangle, home to the University's College of Medicine and Department of Psychology, continues to take shape with the completion of The James E. "Jim" King Jr. Building, a LEED-registered Life Sciences building for the Department of Biological Science. In the middle of the quad, and also new, is a green roof landscaped plaza spanning an 11,045-sf underground cagewash facility shared by all three buildings via tunnels.

3-D Model Facilitates Installation of Pre-Fabricated Mechanical Systems
The construction industry is embracing the increased use of three-dimensional modeling as a powerful tool to enhance project delivery. Being able to virtually design a building before the first shovel of dirt is moved results in a higher return on investment with improved productivity and reduced downtime.

Emerging Video Technologies for Geographically Distributed Medical Education
Newly developed video-conferencing technologies are being successfully used by medical schools and hospitals to transmit lectures, lab sessions, and other content in real time over wide geographic areas. While this technologically advanced approach to medical education offers the ability to increase physician enrollment and retention in a cost-effective way, the rapid advance of video-conferencing technologies and the high costs of system implementation demand intensive pre-planning and commissioning.