Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, Australia

Key Data

Translational Research Institute (TRI) is a medical research facility located at the Princess Alexandra Hospital campus in Woolloongabba in Brisbane, Australia. It was constructed as a seven-storey building for providing support for medical research, administration and teaching.

Next to the main TRI building, a 70,000 square feet bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing facility is being constructed, which will accommodate a mammalian biopharmaceutical production facility. The TRI facility is located near the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence. It will cost $354m to construct.

Groundbreaking for the construction was held in October 2010 and the project is expected to be completed by October 2012. The land for the facility was donated by the Queensland government.

The biopharmaceutical plant is estimated to cost A$65m ($50m) for construction. It is expected to be commissioned in 2013.

Translational Research Institute project and its purpose

"The TRI facility is located near the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence. It will cost $354m to construct."

The Translational Research Institute project is sponsored by a joint venture between the University of Queensland's Diamantina Institute, Mater Medical Research Institute (MMRI) and the Princess Alexandra Hospital's Centres for Health Research, along with the Queensland University of Technology's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation.

The purpose of the project is to increase the investment as well as commercialisation of the medical breakthroughs in Australia, to improve disease-specific research networks of researchers and clinicians, as well as to improve the health standards of the Australians by introducing new medical prophylactic therapies and treatments.

TRI and biopharmaceutical facility details

The TRI facility will be used for the discovery, production and testing of biopharmaceuticals and treatments. The research focus will be on cancer, diabetes, obesity and liver diseases, as well as on inflammatory diseases like HIV, malaria and bone and joint diseases.

The biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility will assist new biologic drug developers to outsource the development, as well as provide technical and economical assistance. It will house a pilot plant to bring newly discovered drugs to pilot commercialisation.

It aims to ensure Australian bioresearch progresses quickly from the lab work to late-stage research in a clinical setting using high-purity material.

Facilities at the Translational Research Institute (TRI) building

The TRI building will have a space of 32,000 square feet. It will have seven storeys, which include four floors of laboratory research, administration and teaching facilities. It can house about 700 researchers.

It will also have an animal house, a cell therapies facility, staff support spaces, a large lecture theatre and advanced education facilities.

The facility will be equipped with two in-building 11kV/415V substations, a 3.2MW, 11kV standby generator, plus 70kW of photovoltaics and intelligent energy. It also will be provided with electrical and ICT components, such as a Tier 2.5 tertiary data centre and F/UTP Category 6A structured cabling infrastructure.

Contractors involved with Brisbane's TRI project

Watpac Construction was awarded the building construction contract for the TRI facility in May 2010. The building was designed by Wilson Architects and Donovan Hill.

"The biopharmaceutical plant is estimated to cost A$65m ($50m) for construction. It is expected to be commissioned in 2013."

Aurecon was awarded a contract to provide structural, façade, electrical, dry fire engineering and information and communications technology services for the facility.

The mechanical services contract was awarded to MultiTech Solutions. The contractor is also responsible for design, documentation and contract administration.

In May 2010, Netherlands-based medical treatment manufacturer DSM Biologics agreed with the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology to design, build and operate the biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility at the TRI.

Financing for Australia's medical research facility project

The TRI project is being financed by $140 m from the Australian Government, $107m from the Queensland government and $50m from Atlantic Philanthropies. Queensland University of Technology will provide $25m and University of Queensland will fund $10m.

Australia's Government has agreed to provide funding of $10 million for the biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

The TRI is a medical research and biopharmaceutical facility located in Brisbane, Australia.

Next to the main building of the TRI, a 70,000 square feet facility is being constructed.

Construction broke ground on the $354m building in October 2010.

The TRI will provide support to medical research, administration and teaching.