Chemistry of the future

Graham Lampard visited GSK's Stevenage research and development site to discover how the company is changing the way its laboratories look and work

To many who did chemistry at school, or even university, the typical chemistry laboratory would probably be seen as fixed wooden benches, with gas, water and a Bunsen burner point every four feet. There would be rows of 2M acids and alkalis above the bench and a couple of fume cupboards filled with half completed experiments or used as 'storage' areas.

Although the laboratories at GSK's r&d facility in Stevenage were of a higher quality, the problems of the inflexible arrangement found in school and university labs were still seen. The question that GSK asked back in the late nineties was whether such an arrangement met its research and development needs. The answer was obvious - no. So Nigel Howcutt, one of GSK's project managers, looked into ways of changing the way GSK's laboratories were constructed, maintained and developed.

active development

The Stevenage site was an ideal choice for the new venture because although the laboratories were state-of-the-art GSK was entering a new phase of its r&d cycle, with more potent actives being developed and shorter IP times meaning that the development of new potential drugs had to be done quickly.

Howcutt said: 'We needed labs that would develop this new science by being flexible; allowing us the opportunity to develop lab designs that would incorporate teams of 12 people, up from the six man teams used in the 90s, but in various configurations.

'We wanted flexible teams, whether they are 2 x 6 people, 3 x 4 people or 4 + 8 people. The aim is to achieve better efficiency and effectiveness.'

GSK developed 'FlexiLab', a new type of lab with the key aspirations of:

• encouraging an open, interactive culture, where scientists can be involved in the direct creation of their own space for science. Howcutt said this includes breakout rooms, and write-up spaces. 'You have to remember that only around a third of the time is actually spent in the laboratory, so a worker's surrounds outside the lab are just as important, if not more so.' It was also important to ensure they separated just as quickly, allowing users to experiment with different working environments and determine which way was the best for the team to work, to produce results required

• providing a flexible laboratory that incorporated the increase in automation, particularly in robotics, that just didn't fit into a conventional layout. It also meant that chemistry had moved from the 'open' bench, and there was no need for Bunsen burners, for instance.

Not only did the change from old style, fixed formations change the look of the labs, Howcutt says it changed the dynamics of the whole building: 'We were dispensing with what people understood, and humans instinctively don't like change, but we started when there was change from the merger of GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham and - after the initial scepticism - the scientists began to see the benefits of an iterative process through working without the old constrictions.'

In 2000, AMEC was engaged by GSK to develop a FlexiLab laboratory that would meet the needs of modern drug development. Instead of fixtures that were stuck in one place, ceiling droppers were developed that could be relocated anywhere within a lay-in metal tile ceiling system.

The droppers contain the gas, electric and data outlets the laboratory users require. Above the ceiling, the dropper has 3 metres of lines linking it to the main distribution system. This contains the gas lines, electrical busbar and data cable trunking located on a regular planning module, and allows for easy dropper repositioning with above ceiling recabling. The system also allows the repositioning of light fittings.

Another clever introduction is that of 100% fresh air, which is blown through the roof and dissapated through grids in the ceiling giving air distribution in the labs without the need for bulky ground-fixed systems.

Currently, more than 20 laboratories have been refurbished with FlexiLabs, and another six are on the books. GSK is looking to expand the idea to other sites but only when the business case demands - it's not a case of change for change sake. 'Once a business case has been established then the advantages are obvious. Take, for example, future changes in a laboratory's output; with this system in place any future changes are effectively "free", as the infrastructure doesn't have to be significantly altered,' Howcutt commented.

One major area of change is that of the fume cupboard. As mentioned , they were often used simply to store dangerous chemicals and waste materials. However, with the system designed at Stevenage the cupboards are relocatable, being fitted with their own variable air volume (VAV) controls that plug into the central extract system.

In addition, local extract ventilation (LEV) units have been fitted to provide containment areas to house research equipment, rather than use fume cupboards. This saves energy because seven LEVs have been found to use the same air volume as just one 3-metre fume cupboard.

The impression you get when being shown round the laboratories is one of effective efficiency. The labs are certainly not as I remember chemistry laboratories: they are spacious, light and seemingly conducive to work. There was a noticeable lack of walls, something that Howcutt explained: 'Back in the 60s the technicians would write-up on the bench end, with books and magazines surrounding them. By the '80s and early '90s this was seen as dangerous, and health and safety issues demanded that scientists were allocated a separate room for writing up.

'With maybe two or three in a room interaction all but dried up. What we are seeing now is a cycle back to the '60s style open plan labs.'

active communication

Of course, much of the chemistry is now done inside machines and by robots so the health and safety issues are reduced and it does inspire communication. The other advance is that much of the background is now done 'virtually' on the web and not with hulking great tomes.

So the modern laboratory is one where chemists interact and develop new ideas through talking as well as experimenting.

Given the paucity of blockbuster drugs coming through and the competition from small biotech companies, who have flexibility themselves, the FlexiLab seems to be something that big companies like GSK need to stay ahead of the competition.