The Tissue Engineering and Phenotyping (TEP) project includes the construction of a state-of-the-art facility for cell and tissue evaluation in the Beckman Institute. Its primary function will be to provide dedicated space for in vitro (outside of living organisms) and in vivo (inside of living organisms) tumor modeling and studies. In addition to conducting experiments, TEP will be a training facility for future cancer scientists through the CCIL’s education programming.
“The Cancer Center at Illinois strives to be a one-stop shop for advice, resources, and expertise for cancer-focused researchers at the university,” said Rohit Bhargava, CCIL Director. “Devoted lab space will enhance the groundbreaking work we’re doing, and it will provide scientists with access to specialized technologies and services.”
The CCIL has completed the Design Phase of the project and is in the Final Review Stage with NIH. Construction is expected to kick off in November of 2020 and completed in Fall 2021.
“The Beckman Institute is a proud partner on this project,” said Beckman Director Jeff Moore. “Beckman is a place where incredible facilities allow for barrier-breaking, interdisciplinary collaborations, and this facility will be another place for those connections to happen.”
The entire NIH award will cover a majority of the renovation costs. The CCIL is working with Beckman’s operations staff, Illinois’ Facility & Services, and the Reifsteck Reid Co. to complete the project. The TEP lab has a full-time research coordinator, Hui Xu, who is spearheading the renovation project. Associate Director for Shared Resources Joseph Irudayaraj will help manage the shared resource.
The TEP Shared Resource will be available year-round for CCIL membership use, and members will receive priority access.