Precision medicine offers hope to many patients for whom traditional diagnostic methods and pharmaceutical treatments have not been successful, and requires innovations in laboratory technology and design to achieve the speed and adaptability these patient populations rely on. Designing a precision medicine laboratory poses its own unique challenges as facilities must be able to respond quickly to shifting demands and prepare for many future unknowns. In order to address these challenges and build a space that accommodates the dynamic nature of precision diagnostics and personalized therapeutics, keep in mind these following tips to lay a foundation for versatility, efficiency and safety.

Future-proof Your Production Spaces

Every lab needs to make space for a new piece of equipment every now and then, but when it comes to precision medicine, processes can shift too frequently for dedicated equipment to be constantly uninstalled and replaced. Without being able to see into the future to know exactly what items will be needed when, flexibility must be built into lab design in the planning phase to ensure smooth and efficient transitions into new workflows. One way this degree of forward-thinking flexibility can be achieved is through “plug-and-play” setups of versatile equipment and utilities that can be switched and adapted to new demands with minimal interruption to normal operations, write CRB Group Engineers Christa Myers and Jon Ficken in a recent article.1

“It would be expensive for a carpenter to have a separate hammer for each kind of nail; the idea is to have one hammer that works with as many nails as possible,” wrote Myers and Ficken. “Likewise, dedicated production equipment is costly, requires its own space for storage and spare parts, and when idle is only collecting dust. Having equipment that can be adapted for multiple processes or products allows for increased uptime and output.”

Just as important as the equipment itself is the space and infrastructure built around it that enables one to take full advantage of the benefits of versatile, modular and/or multifunctional instrumentation. Examples of features that should be considered to aid in a flexible production space are overhead utility carriers with retractable cords for ease and mobility of access to electricity, gas and data transmission, mobile workbenches on casters that can be readily reconfigured as needs and projects change, and thicker floor slabs in pathways to reduce damage when heavy equipment does need to be moved in and out.2,3 Placing more permanent fixtures, such as sinks, around the perimeter of the workspace while leaving the central area open for reconfiguration can ease the transition into future projects and optimize use of floor space for any purpose at any point in time. 

While an adaptable design can go a long way in accommodating new demands with minimal interruption, a plan for eventual scale-out should also be in place for expanding the laboratory’s capabilities and capacity in the future. 

“A holistic approach to facility design should be taken into account for processes, personnel, utilities, and amenities,” wrote Myers and Ficken in their article. “Adequate footprints, appropriate shelled spaces, dedicated equipment spaces, and future flows of personnel, product, and waste allow for future expansion and minimal impact on existing production.” 

Understand Your Energy Needs and Aim for Sustainability

Energy consumption is important to consider when designing any type of lab facility, and precision medicine labs have many areas to consider in this regard. In addition to the energy needs of advanced analytical equipment and production processes, cold storage, fume hoods and computer processing will also increase energy demands. Additionally, energy needs may change over time; it is important to ensure your facility design incorporates the necessary infrastructure to support an uninterrupted power supply, while also keeping in mind sustainability, energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. 

While modular designs, as described in the above section, allow more to be done with less space, adequate space will still be needed for utilities including transformers, generators and other emergency and uninterruptible power supplies.4 Like lab space, utility spaces such as mechanical mezzanines and pads for outdoor generators should be built with future changes in energy demand in mind and with a plan in place for potential scale-up or expansion. Details such as plug loads should be balanced with consideration for different potential configurations of equipment or upgrades such as increased automation, and an overall power distribution strategy should focus on flexibility and cost-efficiency.5 Work closely with the electrical engineering team and keep them in the know about both short term and long term plans for the facility. 

Not least among the planning considerations should be sustainability and efficient use of energy to ensure long term cost-effectiveness and a reduced environmental impact. This is where floor plans and architecture can really make or break your future operating costs, as a smart design can help prevent excessive energy use and the need for further renovations to mitigate this excess. For example, placing office spaces and certain support spaces separate from laboratory spaces can reduce HVAC demands by reducing the overall space that will rely heavily on outside air.6,7 When it comes to cold storage, look for opportunities to design freezer rooms that optimize air flow as a means of reducing the energy needed to offset generated heat. One approach suggested in a recent article from architectural firm Burns & McDonnell is to borrow the hot aisle/cold aisle technique used in data centers to reduce cooling costs.8

Other design elements many laboratories have incorporated to reduce energy costs from the get-go include chilled beam technology for more efficient heating and cooling, and overhangs and light shelves to enhance natural daylight entering the building, which reduces the need for artificial lighting. These are just a few of the considerations that can be made in the planning phase to make your lab spaces not only flexible, but sustainable as well. 

Cut Out Opportunities for Contamination

Precision medicine relies on smaller-scale manufacturing of tailored pharmaceuticals for a handful or even just one patient, which means there is less room for error when ensuring patients can receive the personalized treatments they need in a short timeframe. Additionally, smaller-scale manufacturing magnifies the risk of contamination3, making contamination control even more crucial in the precision medicine laboratory. 

When it comes to laboratory design, building in sufficient dedicated pathways for materials, products and wastes will be essential to balance efficiency and safety. This also means ensuring there are sufficient dock doors for moving materials in and out and that waste streams are contained with adequate barriers to remove any chance of cross-contamination between waste and other materials in the lab. The flow of personnel throughout the building and lab spaces should also be considered when it comes to contamination risk. One approach to predicting how these various streams of staff and materials affect risk levels is computational fluid dynamics simulations, which can be used to identify and mitigate high-risk areas in your design.9 

In addition to establishing an airlocking and containment strategy, laboratories can consider automation options as another method of minimizing potential contamination in precision pharmaceutical production. Closed automated processes with minimal manual intervention reduce the risks of contamination and other errors, which is especially important for the delicate process of manufacturing tailored precision medicine treatments. The level of automation you expect to incorporate either immediately or down the line at your facility must be factored into your design in terms of the space and energy supply needed to accommodate robotic systems, among other considerations. 

Overall, designing a precision medicine laboratory requires balancing flexibility, efficiency and safety to ensure your facility will be prepared to meet the unique needs of clients and patients and adapt rapidly to changes in demand and technological advancements. Mobile workspaces, energy-conscious layouts and the foundations for fool-proof contamination control are some of the key aspects to discuss with consultants and stakeholders early on to help construct a facility on the cutting edge of next-generation healthcare.

References

  1. “Precision medicine diagnostics are driving the need for flexible facility design,” Christa Myers and Jon Ficken, CRB Group. https://www.crbgroup.com/insights/pharmaceuticals/precision-medicine

  2. “Plug-and-play laboratory design,” Bob Thomas and Sella Perico, LEO A DALY. https://leoadaly.com/perspectives/plug-and-play-laboratory-design/ 

  3. “Why flexible space is a major breakthrough in lab design,” JLL. https://www.jll.com.ar/en/trends-and-insights/workplace/why-flexible-space-is-a-major-breakthrough-in-lab-design

  4. “The Big Shift: How Laboratory Design Should Respond to Personalized Medicine,” Alicia Pandimos-Maurer, CannonDesign. https://www.cannondesign.com/news-insights/thought-leadership/the-big-shift-how-laboratory-design-should-respond-to-personalized-medicine/ 

  5. “Lab, research facility design: Electrical, power and lighting,” Consulting-Specifying Engineer. https://www.csemag.com/articles/lab-research-facility-design-electrical-power-and-lighting/

  6. “10 Key Considerations for Sustainable Laboratory Design,” Stirling Ultracold. https://www.stirlingultracold.com/sustainable-laboratory-design-trends-and-considerations/ 

  7. “Laboratories for the 21st Century: An Introduction to Low-Energy Design,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy08osti/29413.pdf 

  8. “Building for Biomeds,” Benchmark, Issue 3, 2019, Burns & McDonnell. https://info.burnsmcd.com/benchmark/article/2019/issue-3/feature/building-for-biomeds#read-article

  9. “An introduction to ATMP manufacturing,” Allan Bream, CRB Group. https://www.crbgroup.com/insights/biotechnology/introduction-atmp-manufacturing