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Exciting changes are coming to the Biological Sciences Building on North Campus. The building will be transformed into the Life Sciences Innovation and Future Technologies (LIFT) Centre. If you frequent or have quickly toured the halls, you can vouch that it’s due for some revamping. I had the opportunity to speak with Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell, dean and vice-provost of the College of Natural Applied Sciences, about upcoming renovations and what these updates will mean to past, current and future students at U of A.
Imagining the LIFT Centre
The first question most students have about a new addition on campus is “What will it look like?” so we can start to imagine how it will fit into our established routines. The news of the renovation is still fresh, so the university is at the beginning stages of envisioning and designing the space. More importantly, “faculty, students [and] staff will have input through consultation,” Matina shares. This first stage takes months to complete as it sets the foundation for what the upgrades will look like and ensures they align with the needs of everyone involved, including students.
Students can expect upgraded learning spaces that will improve how scientific research is conducted on North Campus. The LIFT Centre will include “high-service wet lab spaces” that ensure the safety of students and staff while protecting the integrity of research. Some examples include specialized air circulation to minimize contamination and fume hoods to keep volatile chemicals contained.
Thinking about the intersection of research and technology, I was very curious about artificial intelligence (AI) and how it might be integrated into the LIFT Centre. Today, research in STEM and life sciences is enriched through AI tools. An example that Matina shared with me is , an AI system that predicts a protein’s 3D structure and has transformed the way they are researched. A part of the centre’s vision will include the infrastructure needed to support a modern and up-to-date learning environment.
These types of advanced utilities and technologies are just some of the resources we can expect from the LIFT Centre.
Interdisciplinary collaborations
As an arts student, a space like the LIFT Centre seemed outside of my scope, but my conversation with Matina allowed me to learn about how the centre can bring together students from different faculties and departments.
“We know that solving the world’s problems is going to require diverse teams where people bring their expertise from all of these disciplines,” Matina says.
The centre will include labs that pertain to various programs, bringing multiple areas of study into one space. It will streamline collaborations between students and professors to better support research on campus, whether it’s members of the Faculty of Science and Arts students taking their science elective. I was excited to learn that the LIFT Centre aims to support all students and is something everyone can all look forward to.
Preserving the impact of Biological Sciences Building
The LIFT Centre will be a major renovation, but at its core, it will maintain the iconic spirit of the Biological Sciences Building. I know many of us have toured the halls of the building and marvelled at the fascinating (and sometimes scary) creatures showcased. I was happy to learn that the Biological Sciences Building will serve as the foundation for the upgraded centre rather than it being built anew. Matina also shared that consultation will be important with both current students and alumni to take into consideration what they cherish and what they hope for in the LIFT Centre to “bridge the past with the present [...] and future.”
It’s exciting to think about the possibilities of what the LIFT Centre will look like and offer to U of A students. Speaking with Matina allowed me to learn more about how the centre will enrich learning at U of A across many disciplines, and more importantly, how it will bring students and professors together to support and enrich each other’s learning experiences.