Q&A on IDT Synthetic Biology Manufacturing Facility Expansion
Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) announced opening a new 25,000-square-foot synthetic biology facility in Coralville, Iowa. The opening doubled its production capacity with a new 24/7 energy-efficient site.
This launch expands IDT's synthetic biology portfolio gene synthesis abilities with various gene and gene fragment products and rapid synthesis offerings set to be released later this year.
Lab Design News spoke to Heather Loftsgard, site director of synthetic biology, and Steve Nielsen, construction project Manager at IDT, about the launch.
Q: When and how was the decision to develop this lab facility reached? Did it replace an existing facility, or was it developed to meet the need for a new facility?
HL: The new facility expands IDT’s existing synthetic biology manufacturing operations footprint. It adds additional lab spaces and manufacturing capacity to support IDT’s long-term growth strategy for our synthetic biology product portfolio. This will enable us to introduce new features and new product enhancements, such as a rapid gene synthesis offering, which we anticipate launching soon.
Our decision to invest in this facility is the result of steadily increasing customer demand for our synthetic biology product offerings. The synthetic biology market is experiencing rapid growth, with market research studies predicting growth rates in the range of 20-30% within the next 8-10 years. IDT intends to continue playing a pivotal role in the market and this investment demonstrates our commitment to continue innovating for our customers and developing solutions to meet their synthetic biology needs.
Q: What kinds of sustainability initiatives have been included in the design plan?
SN: IDT’s synthetic biology facility and flow were designed for lean manufacturing, and we deploy waste minimization strategies to offset our environmental impact. As part of the design, the facility features LED lighting, which helps reduce energy consumption and environmental harm.
All IDT facilities are purpose-built to meet or exceed building industry standards, are supported by an internal environmental and sustainability program, and are continually monitored to track our environmental footprint. As a practice, synthetic biology is generally leading to more sustainable approaches to drug development and production, which we’re excited to be at the forefront of.
Q: Is there anything particularly unique or groundbreaking about your facility or the design plan?
SN: IDT’s synthetic biology manufacturing facility experienced a complete interior renovation, which began with an overhaul of the entire building, to convert it from office space to a state-of-the-art chemical processing lab with all of the support systems required to enable the synthetic biology process.
Some unique aspects of the design plan included removing antiqued building elements, such as the entire HVAC system and individual rooftop units, to design a more efficient, flexible, and optimized space that could support IDT’s long-term growth plans.
To accomplish our design vision, we also installed steel structures on both floors to support the air handler and other heavy components, and we maximized our lab floor plan by removing redundant and unnecessary spaces. We also added a building-wide generator to ensure a 24/7 power supply to the building, which is also equipped with its own uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system so that production can maintain operations at any given time.
Q: What sorts of challenges did you encounter during the design/build process, and how did you overcome them?
SN: One of the significant structural challenges we overcame was replacing the existing elevator that was already in the building to better serve the needs of our business. We removed what was originally an elevator to serve only personnel and added a newly designed personnel and freight elevator to meet the needs of a two-floor, continuous, 24/7 production facility. Since elevators are typically built during an initial commercial building’s construction, there are inherent challenges with rebuilding them inside an already existing building.
Another challenge that is often common with these types of projects is balancing user needs with cost and timeline constraints. We overcame this through collaboration with end users and our project partners—which included OPN Architects and M.A. Mortenson Company—to deploy value engineering strategies that didn’t sacrifice the quality or design of our facility. The outcome resulted in a design that serves IDT’s manufacturing and industrial needs and a flexible, functional, and efficient space for our team now and for years to come.
Q: How was the lab manager/researcher's input incorporated into this design plan? Did you meet with lab users in the kickoff meetings or rely on lab managers to collect their staff members’ input to relay to you?
SN: Over the course of two years, we conducted in-depth interviews and spent time with IDT team members to understand their processes, materials produced, chemicals used, and raw material, air, water, and power needs to design a building that served those requirements and processes. We collected input from all levels—lab users, managers, and other core team members—to develop a deep understanding of their space requirements. This entire process informed the design plan, and we continually checked in during progress updates, as well as in the final layout planning phase, to ensure all perspectives and feedback were captured. The overall design is focused on flexibility, and the space is tailored to serve IDT’s team with an eye toward future expansion and growth.
Q: If a similar facility or program were to look at your facility for inspiration, what do you think they would take away as an example of what they should also implement in their own lab?
SN: A focus on flexibility, functionality, and collaboration with end users and project partners is needed to ensure a successful design plan that supports their current and future lab needs.
