SGS completes expansion of its Biosafety Centre of Excellence in Glasgow

Clients to receive accelerated quality testing and reduced turnaround times

The expansion builds on previous rounds of investment in 2020 and 2019, which increased the company's capacity for testing cell banks and the routine bulk harvest for vaccines, gene and cell therapies, monoclonal antibodies and other recombinant protein-based biological medicines.

The latest expansion adds 550m2 and 16 BSL-2 laboratories to the facility, along with the installation of BSL-2 cabinets, ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technology, cell culture equipment for virus detection and real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing equipment.

According to Archie Lovatt, Site Manager & Scientific Director SGS, the Biosafety Center of Excellence has already played a pivotal role in increasing vaccine access and bringing the global population out of the pandemic by batch-testing and releasing more than 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

The facility is now staffed with 130 experts who, along with the increased capacity and new installations, will help clients to accelerate quality testing and reduce turnaround time.