Laboratories, Astana

Location:

Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan

Client:

B&A Contractors SA

Team:

Manens

Task:

Technical and economic feasibility study, detailed design, executive design

Principles:

High-level biocontainment

High complexity

The project involves the construction of two buildings for Research Laboratories and Clinical Facilities in the city of Gvardeysky (Zhambyl Region), in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is part of the “Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Industry for the Period 2020–2025,” promoted at the governmental level to ensure an effective response to issues related to food and biological security.

Within this major development plan, an underground facility has been built for the study of pathogenic agents (equipped with laboratories with biosafety containment levels up to BSL-4), with the aim of strengthening and regulating biosafety policies by creating a network with other institutions capable of providing effective responses, even in emergency situations. The project also includes a Biobank with a scientific laboratory and experimental units for conducting research under controlled artificial conditions.

In particular, the Biobank has been identified by the Republic of Kazakhstan as a strategic facility of exceptional importance at both state and national levels, as it represents an investment in the country’s food security and the advancement of cutting-edge research.

Details

Project area:

25.100 sqm

Bed capacity:

Project date:

2023

Date of construction:

Ongoing

Value:

€ XXX

Characteristics

- High-level biocontainment

- High technological and plant engineering complexity

The Biobank area is organized over two floors and includes the following functional areas:

Cell and tissue culture area for the quarantine storage of biomaterials and large-volume cryopreservation;
Area for long-term storage of plant seed samples and RNA/DNA at -18°C and -86°C;
Area for medium- and short-term storage of plant seed samples at 4°C, including compressor rooms;
Storage area for temporary deposit of grain samples and other crops, as well as for chemicals, disinfectants, and equipment;
Processing area for grain cleaning, separation, and sorting;
Scientific laboratory area dedicated to phytosanitary safety, where phytopathological, mycological, and molecular genetic studies are conducted;
Area with isolated experimental units for carrying out experiments under controlled artificial conditions, enabling year-round accelerated reproduction and the study of plant gene pool samples.

The building has been designed to preserve a wide range of plant genetic resources in the form of seeds, cell cultures, and genetic materials such as RNA and DNA, ensuring their long-term conservation while also making valuable information available to researchers and other stakeholders.

By providing access to a variety of data—including genetic, genomic, and molecular information—the Biobank will serve as a key resource for scientific research and will open new horizons toward a sustainable future that prioritizes environmental protection and safety.