BJC Institute of Health at WUSM

Vertical Expansion:

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis began construction in the spring of 2022 on a six-floor expansion on top of the Steven & Susan Lipstein BJC Institute of Health building, which sits at the center of the Medical Campus. The addition, estimated to cost $165 million, will include 160,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space.

The expansion will house a 7,900-square-foot biosafety level 3 (BSL-3), or high-containment, laboratory to support research on infectious viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and tuberculosis. BSL-3 laboratories use specialized ventilation and other systems that safely enable the study of viruses that spread through the air, so that scientists can develop diagnostic tools, treatments, and vaccines — all essential steps in controlling epidemics.

The building expansion also will include a 7,800-square-foot Biologic Therapy Core Facility, following Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations (enforced by the Food and Drug Administration), for cellular therapies to treat cancer; 100,000 square feet of expanded laboratory space; and about 44,000 square feet of mechanical building-support areas.