Current track and session postings reflect confirmed speakers only.
Session information and speakers are updated on daily basis and are subject to change.


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Gearing up for Manufacturing
9:45am – 11:00am

With a long period of basic research and discovery, the biologics industry is now facing a new challenge. – getting a large number of biologics molecules ready for pre-clinical and clinical trials. Costs and time involved in clinical scale manufacturing and conducting trials is high. The probability of failure along the development life cycle of is also quite high. This puts pressure on small and mid sized biotech companies to find creative approaches to minimize capital outlays and reduce cycle time for filing IND. While there are no magic bullets, biotech companies are aggressively looking at many options including: use of existing buildings rather than rebuild; simplifying operations to eliminate costly validated systems for water and CIP; use of premixed media and buffers in disposable single use equipment; use of locally controlled environment around unit operations to simplify air conditioning systems; rapid design of experiment approaches for cell culture optimization; etc. A panel of industry experts will focus on effective use of disposables and locally controlled environment. The forum is designed to have an open discussion among the participants and elicit all ideas focused on dramatically improving “time to market” and substantially reducing initial capital investment.

Panel Moderator:

Ashok K. Rao
Vice President, Process Technology, Parsons

Panel Speakers:

Geoff Hodges
Vice President, Xcellerex

Dan Hipple
Senior Director, Facilities and EH&S, Theravance, Inc.

Ahmad J. Shahidi
Senior Technical Consultant, Parsons

Renovation, Addition, and Adaptive Re-Use for Research Facilities
11:15am – 12:30pm

Change is a given, particularly in the modern research and teaching environment. Every building owner or user will, at some time, be faced with the decision to either renovate or replace existing facilities as a result of exciting new scientific discoveries, new processes, outmoded facilities, infrastructure deficiencies, change of research mission, growth, regulatory changes, or new organizational relationships. The decision to renovate and re-use existing buildings, rather than demolish and re-build, is typically justified due to limitations on site expansion, potentially lower construction costs, shorter construction schedules, and physical constraints that limit program creep. As a result of these advantages, nearly 75% of all laboratory construction projects occur within existing operating facilities, underutilized facilities, or newly developed projects initially designed for other uses. Although renovation, addition, and adaptive re-use projects offer distinct advantages, these projects also present unique challenges that need to be considered. Unanticipated conditions need to be anticipated, building occupants cannot be disrupted, and existing building systems need to remain operational. Many times, these conditions may be in conflict with the goal to establish excellence in energy performance and sustainable construction. A panel of leading industry experts will focus on some of the key challenges, lessons learned, and opportunities found on renovation, addition, and adaptive re-use projects in order to help building owners and designers evaluate potential project sites and make the best use of existing or operational facilities.

Panel Moderator:

David Bendet, AIA, LEED® AP
Director of Science & Technology, Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum

Panel Speakers:

Charles Alaimo
Director of Operations, OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

David Goodman
Director of Real Estate, The Clorox Company

John Kelley
Senior Project Manager, Genentech, Inc.

Ian Larson
Senior Project Manager, Baxter Bioscience

Selecting the Right Construction Delivery System for Your Project
1:45pm – 3:00pm

There are a multitude of construction delivery systems out there. How do you select the right one for your project. This session will look at several different delivery methods: Traditional Design-Bid-Build with a General Contractor, Multiple bid packages with a Construction Manager, CM at risk, Design-Build and Design-Build Assist. We will discuss the pro’s and con’s of each method, how they affect schedule, budget and cost. There will be actual examples of each of these systems and the owners for each of these projects will have an opportunity to explain why they chose the delivery method they did and what lessons they learned in the process.

Panel Moderator:

Andrew Cunningham
Project Manager, Flad & Associates

Panel Speakers:

Gavin Keith
Preconstruction Manager, DPR Construction, Inc.

Virginia (Ginny) Kosor
Director of Facilities, FibroGen

Joseph Miller
Senior Architect, Genentech, Inc.

Changing California Building Codes
3:15pm – 4:30pm

The New 2007 California Codes are a radical departure from what we have had for the past 25 years. Old concepts are no longer valid. Terminology has changed. Construction methods and standards will be different. Seismic safeguards will be more conservative. In short every Californian will have to relearn these new Codes, Standards and Concepts.

Panel Moderator:

Reinhard Hanselka
President, Integrated Engineering Services