This week marks the start of Pave Aways’ refurbishment work at Keele University’s Huxley Building, home to the School of Life Sciences’ cutting-edge science facilities at its Stoke-on-Trent campus.
The £1m extension and refurbishment of the insectary laboratory is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2025, and involves the demolition of existing structures, followed by the construction of a new masonry extension and refurbishment to create a state-of-the-art insect research facility.
Funded partly by a £623,000 grant from the Wolfson Foundation, the new laboratory will feature seven environmentally controlled walk-in chambers. These chambers will allow precise climate control, crucial for the study of insects and their impact on human health and agriculture.
The new purpose-built insect research laboratory will allow scientists to carry out vital research to tackle the spread of deadly diseases and reduce crop losses to pests in the UK and across the globe.
Steven Owen, Managing Director, expressed his enthusiasm: “Building excellent educational facilities in our region is a tremendous responsibility, and being involved in a project that supports world-leading research and teaching is truly an honour.”
Professor Mark Ormerod, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of Keele, noted, “This new insectary will enhance our capacity for entomology research, helping us maintain our leading position in this vital field.”
The laboratory will allow scientists at Keele to advance their studies of insects and their relationship to humans, the environment and other organisms. This work aims to discover new and improved ways of halting the spread of deadly mosquito-borne diseases, and the destruction of crops by insects.
The new facility reinforces Keele’s reputation as a world leader in entomology research. For ongoing updates on this project, visit our ‘Projects’ page.
Read more about Keele University’s work and the refurbishment project here