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Mobile lab furniture and other flexible design features enable cross-functional team-based workflows while still allowing for reconfiguration as science evolves and research needs change.
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Future-Proof Your Clinical Lab: 6 Transformations in Lab Design and Operations

Seeking inputs from the research community in the early stages of lab design is a gamechanger

Kate Malagiere, BS

Kate Malagiere, BS, is director of operations, lab services at JLL and oversees the portfolio-wide laboratory services program for their client, Bristol-Myers Squibb. She drives best practices by implementing process improvements, ensuring regulatory and quality compliance, supporting laboratory project expansions, and managing the expectations of lab clients. Malagiere offers subject matter expertise in laboratory facility services, brings over 18 years of pharmaceutical experience to her current role, and has a bachelor of science degree in biology from Lafayette College, PA.

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Published:Aug 22, 2023
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Photo portrait of Kate Malagiere
Kate Malagiere, BS, is director of operations, lab services at JLL and oversees the portfolio-wide laboratory services program for their client, Bristol-Myers Squibb. Malagiere offers subject matter expertise in laboratory facility services, brings over 18 years of pharmaceutical experience to her current role, and has a bachelor of science degree in biology from Lafayette College, PA.

The pursuit of groundbreaking discoveries is transforming the way scientists work and collaborate—and the places where breakthroughs happen. Biopharma companies are reimagining their campuses and labs to attract talent, adapt to hybrid work, and spur innovation.

Following are six ways in which labs are changing to remain at the forefront of scientific progress and adapt to the challenges of a dynamic world.

1. Legacy biopharma campuses reimagined as multitenant environments

As biopharma companies look to repurpose underutilized space and enliven their workplaces, many are transforming their legacy campuses into multitenant innovation parks or live-work-play communities. Such strategies not only enhance collaboration and social connections, benefiting the scientific community, but also introduce complexities for lab operations.

When converting a campus to a multitenant environment, companies must ensure that back-of-house elements can support both existing labs and new tenants. Minimizing disruption requires careful attention to supporting operations such as dock management, material movement, and utility/MEP requirements.

2. Advances in robotics expand hybrid work opportunities

The shift toward hybrid work continues to gain steam in labs as more traditional benchwork transitions to robotic workstations. Scientists can now remotely monitor and adjust workflows related to high-throughput screening, tissue culture, compound plating, and more. Automation has its benefits, but the shift toward hybrid work requires more investment and attention to enabling technologies, including temperature sensors, cameras, and other equipment.

3. Continued momentum for open-concept labs

With a mandate to boost collaboration and agility, biopharma companies continue to build on the open-lab concept. Mobile lab furniture and other flexible design features enable cross-functional team-based workflows while still allowing for reconfiguration as science evolves and research needs change.

4. Increased focus on inventory management

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of inventory management. There is a renewed push for lab managers to ensure adequate safety stock of consumables, personal protective equipment (or PPE), and other supplies. To increase resiliency, usage data must be analyzed and applied to storage space needs and logistics capabilities with the direct suppliers.

5. Sustainable design goes mainstream

Striving to meet ambitious climate goals, biopharma companies are prioritizing sustainability strategies throughout their campuses. The push for environmentally responsible facilities often includes major design changes.

For example, moving labs from interior building locations to spaces along windows provides natural light and reduces electricity needs. Some labs are also exploring how to use vacancy and occupancy sensors to reveal actual usage of spaces and equipment, with the goal of identifying energy-saving opportunities.

6. The rise of urban labs

Competition for the next generation of talent has driven many companies to relocate suburban and rural campuses to urban locations. Such a move requires careful attention to lab requirements during location selection and design.

Companies must consider what type of research and operations are permissible within an urban area and which floors of a high rise will be off-limits for lab use due to city regulations or zoning—for example, flammable control zones. Moving to a dense location can also potentially impact dock operations if shipments are restricted to certain times of the day.

Staying ahead of change

As companies evolve their campuses to attract and retain talent, lab operations managers play an important role in ensuring their lab environments follow suit.

Involving the research community early in real estate discussions helps ensure new spaces can support the scientific operations intended for that space. Getting contributions from R&D leaders and lab services support teams is vital during the design stage to produce labs optimized for efficiency and scientific breakthroughs.