It wasn鈥檛 as if everyone was avoiding the word 鈥渂uilding,鈥� it鈥檚 just that the Life Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) is so much more.
AV俱乐部 President Tom Traves called it a 鈥渂usiness and incubation centre,鈥� a 鈥渙ne-stop life sciences shop.鈥� Colin Latham, chair of the LSRI steering committee, dubbed it a 鈥渞esearch village.鈥� And Martha Crago, Vice President Research for AV俱乐部, referred to it as a 鈥減otent anchor鈥� and a 鈥渄istrict of discovery.鈥�
Whatever you want to call it, the Life Sciences Research Institute is unique for Halifax鈥攁 beautiful, light-filled facility where scientists, students and entrepreneurs will work together. The idea is that through collaboration and discussion, they will be able to move research seamlessly from the lab to the commercial sphere.
'One powerful team'
鈥淲e bring science and technology transfer together to form one powerful team,鈥� said Dr. Traves at the June 21 launch.
The location of the state-of-the-art facility on the corner of Summer Street and University Avenue is important to this concept; LSRI is situated in close proximity to hospitals, research labs and the Tupper Building, home of AV俱乐部鈥檚 Faculty of Medicine, which it is connected to by a pedway.
鈥淗ow can you not be inspired in this building?鈥� said Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter, who with a wave of his arm indicated the light-filled foyer, open to the ceiling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a space that holds a lot of promise for the province ... this institute has the capacity to produce leading-edge research while providing enhanced clinical, educational and training space.鈥�
Premier Dexter noted he鈥檚 been spending a lot of time at AV俱乐部 lately, having recently attended the launch of the Halifax Marine Research Institute, bringing together science and industry. 鈥淟SRI will have a similar focus for the life sciences sector.鈥�
While President Traves and Premier Dexter spoke of promise and potential, HRM councillor Sue Uteck brought passion to the launch.
鈥淚 lost a loved one to ALS,鈥� began Councillor Uteck, referring to her husband Larry Uteck, a noted football coach and city alderman who died at the age of 50 in 2002. 鈥淚 see this as a place of passion, vision, leadership, hopes and miracles ... that鈥檚 the excitement of everyone I encountered.鈥�
The event was capped by release of balloons and the unfurling of a silk banner by Nova Scotia artist Holly Carr. She was as excited as anyone to see the artwork in its entirety; she worked on the banner in sections, depicting DNA, molecules, amino acids, cells, synapses, organs and nervous systems. In total, it鈥檚 more than 18 metres in length and 1.5 metres wide.
鈥淚 must say, it was quite a process ironing it and rolling it and getting it in the car,鈥� she said with a laugh.
Founding partners
The founding partners of LSRI are AV俱乐部, Capital Health and the IWK Health Centre in partnership with Innovacorp. Among the more than 100 life science researchers and research groups relocating to LSRI are the Brain Repair Centre and the Atlantic Mobility Action Project. On the business incubation side are Innovacorp and AV俱乐部鈥檚 Industry Liaison Office.
The $70-million facility was funded by Industry Canada, Province of Nova Scotia, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, AV俱乐部 Medical Research Foundation and other private benefactors.