Penn broke ground on a $94 million veterinary laboratory last week.
The 63,000-square-foot facility — sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture — is located at the School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton campus in Kennett Square, Pa. The building will house the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System and the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology Research Laboratory, which serve agricultural communities across the state.
Acting director of PETRL and 2010 School of Veterinary Medicine graduate Mary Robinson described the partnership between Penn Vet and the Department of Agriculture as “wonderful” in an interview.
By virtue of working in the same building, PADLS and PERTL will be able to collaborate, she explained, citing her close professional relationship with the resident director of PADLS Lisa Murphy.
Construction is expected to complete in 2028, allowing both labs to move in the following year.
According to Robinson, students and faculty will also benefit from the building’s new analytical and research laboratories.
“We’re really space limited where we are currently, and having this located at New Bolton Center will allow the students to not only get exposure within my laboratory, but also within the other laboratories too,” she said. “I think that’s going to be a really big win for this new building as far as teaching goes.”
Robinson expressed hope that the new building will allow students to become acquainted with Penn programs that she missed out on during her time in that role.
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“That’s also going to be a huge benefit to having this building located front and center at New Bolton Center — right next to the hospital,” she said, adding that students will be able to see the services PETRL works with.
In an announcement, Penn Vet Dean Andrew Hoffman wrote that the “Commonwealth’s investment gives the science that protects Pennsylvania’s animals, agriculture, and public health a home equal to its importance.”
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding emphasized the state’s investment in agriculture — an industry that includes more than 48,000 farms, supports nearly 600,000 jobs, and contributes over $132 billion a year to the state’s economy.
“Supporting Penn Vet’s cutting-edge research, diagnostic testing, and quality animal care strengthens Pennsylvania’s capacity to detect and prevent disease, respond quickly in crisis, and continue growing and leading in animal agriculture,” Russell wrote.
