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MUSC ready to begin new constructionBy Jill Coley The Post and Courier Tuesday, September 9, 2008 The expanding Medical University of South Carolina soon will open a third construction site along President Street. The S.C. Bioengineering Center at MUSC will corral experts in biomed= ical engineering, a field that could develop such futuristic treatments as gro= wing replacement organs or regenerating neural tissue. "This gives the research community another dimension in South Carolina," said Richard Swaja, director = of the S.C. Bioengineering Alliance. Martine LaBerge, professor and chair of bioengineering at Clemson University, said the joint project was initiated because of a lack of space. In 2003, a relationship was forged between the two to attract millions of dollars in biomedical engineering research gra= nts. MUSC has requested approval from Charleston's Board of Architectural Review to begin construction of the four-story, 100,000-square-foot build= ing that will be the third in a series of buildings to go up on or near Presi= dent Street. A 120,000-square-foot dental building already under construction is slated for completion August 2009. The dental building faces Bee Street between President Street and Ashley Avenue. The second in the series is a 114,000-squ= are-foot drug discovery building that will comprise laboratory and biotech start-up space and is scheduled for completion by August 2010. The bioengineering building should cost approximately $55 million an= d is expected to open its doors by late 2010, Swaja said. The drug discovery and bioengineering buildings will be linked on t= he first and second floors. Housed in the bioengineering building will be the offices of the S.C. Bioengineering Alliance, a collaboration of MUSC, Clemson and University = of South Carolina, which was founded in the mid-1980s. "The philosophy of it is collaborative," LaBerge said. Under one roof, academic, clinical, business and government resources will be gathered to focus on developing therapies for commercial sale. Sp= ace will be included for an incubator to house investors who want to start development. About 36 wet lab areas and office space for 36 investigators will be= on the top three floors. The first floor will comprise dry labs for computer-based research and conference space that can hold up to 600 peop= le, Swaja said. The center will have a strong focus on stem cells, Swaja said. Stem-cell research has been controversial in the U.S. because many people associate stem cells with embryonic stem cells, which are derived,= as their name suggests, from embryos. MUSC adheres to the federal government= 's directives regarding stem-cell research. Another area of interest will be biomaterials, or prosthetics, he said. "This building is a reflection of the progressive thinking goin= g on around the state that bridges disciplines," Swa= ja said. Reach Ji= ll Coley at 937-5719 or jcoley@postandcourier.com.<= /span> Copyright © 1997 - 2007 the Evening Post Publishing Co. |