As Boulder鈥檚 biotech community continues to thrive and grow, the听Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building听debuted its state-of-the-art E-Wing on Monday.
The 56,340-square-foot E-Wing听will feature next-generation active learning spaces where students learn by doing rather than by being lectured, as well as laboratory space where听current and future faculty in the 听and the Department of Chemical听and Biological Engineering will be able to听continue their groundbreaking research.
Monday鈥檚 ribbon-cutting event honored Colorado-based philanthropists John and Anna Sie, whose generous $2 million gift will allow for the creation of an industry co-location space on the E-Wing鈥檚 second floor. The space will be leased to industry partners, allowing local and national biotech companies to bring scientists and resources on-site in order to work side-by-side with university students and researchers.
CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano and Tom Cech, Nobel Laureate and director of the BioFrontiers Institute, were on hand to officially open the Yuan Yung-Foo Interdisciplinary Bioscience Research Neighborhood and thanked the Sies for their continued support of BioFrontiers and the university鈥檚 research mission.
鈥淭he Sies, whose philanthropic generosity is well known in the state of Colorado and around the world, have provided stalwart support for the BioFrontiers Institute for many years and in many ways,鈥� said Cech, a Distinguished Professor of chemistry and biochemistry at CU Boulder. 鈥淲e are truly grateful for their most recent commitment to providing much-needed research facilities where our talented researchers, students and industry partners work together to unravel the complexities of biology with an ultimate goal of enhancing human health and welfare.鈥�
鈥淎nna and John are among CU鈥檚 most generous donors鈥攖heir gifts are always transformational,鈥� DiStefano said. "With their support, we are achieving our vision to become a leader in addressing the humanitarian, social and technological challenges of the 21st century."
Construction on the $32 million E-wing broke ground in March 2016, aided by $15 million in funding from the state of Colorado.
For more information on the E-Wing, .
