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On Wednesday, 18 September, Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� Board President Anton Pijpers and PhD student Savannah Turner officially kicked off the renovations of the Life Sciences Cluster. The cluster will bring together cutting-edge research by the faculties of Science, Geosciences, Veterinary Medicine, and the UMC Utrecht. The Life Sciences Cluster will officially open in late 2020.

Excellent sustainability seal of approval

Director of Real Estate & Campus Fiona van ’t Hullenaar expressed her pride in the new facility: “The existing David de Wied building will be renovated in phases. On the west side of the building, a new wing will be built for the high-quality Electron Microscopy Centre. The building’s connection to the thermal energy storage unit and the upgrades to the fume cabinets in the laboratories will contribute to a dramatic reduction in the building’s energy consumption

The university has high ambitions in the field of sustainability. We aim to be completely CO2-neutral by 2030.

Bringing together cutting-edge international research

Anton Pijpers explained how contemporary education and research are subject to constant change. “By looking beyond the borders of disciplines, we can have an even greater impact. This innovation is an excellent example of that. We’re investing considerable resources in the life sciences, material sciences, and geosciences, and all of these fields of research will be able to take advantage of this innovative new high-quality technical facility. Dean Isabel Arends of the Faculty of Science concurred and looked to the future: “My dream for 2022 is that this location will be home to an internationally renowned centre for ground-breaking research and education. A place where knowledge can grow and where researchers from a wide range of disciplines can come together and inspire one another.”

Electron Microscopy Centre

The EM centre has equipment to prepare samples for Life Sciences research while maintaining their ultrastructures (including cryofixation, freeze-substitution and high-pressure freezing of samples, immunostaining, serial sectioning, and high-resolution electron tomography) to study the three-dimensional structure of cells, tissues, and protein complexes. The current EM centre desperately needs a new home, thanks in part to several grants for new equipment. 

Artwork and 1st pile

BAM director Martijn van der Knaap mentioned a unique aspect of this project. “We’re building a completely new EM facility, even as the current one remains open for business. The new construction will be added to the side of the building, and some will take place underneath. We’ll bring the installations to the roof and provide high-quality laboratory facilities. Eventually, researchers will be able to conduct vibration-free research here. That all will require some thorough preparation. Yes, we’re ready for it!” He then presented the first section of a work of art to Fiona van ’t Hullenaar. The second and third sections of the gift will follow when the highest point is reached, and then at the opening of the new facilities. At the end of the celebration, Anton Pijpers and Research Trainee Savannah Turner activated the machine that drove the 1^st pile into the ground.

More information

Follow all of the news about the new construction at or download the app via the App Store or Google Play. Please feel free to send any questions to: daviddewiedgebouw@uu.nl.