Down to a Science

Discovery & Innovation Building

Jacksonville, FL

Of the 1,300 people on the lung waitlist, nearly 300 die every year waiting for a lung transplant. Lungs are fragile, and only 23% of donated lungs are transplanted into recipients. To address this disparity, United Therapeutics has partnered with top medical nonprofit organizations to deploy its ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) technology. EVLP allows surgeons to reevaluate initially rejected lungs and gather additional information that could help them decide if the lung should be used for transplant. EwingCole designed the 75,000 SF Discovery and Innovation Building to house this lung evaluation facility, along with a life sciences incubator for biotech entrepreneurs, and an automated stem cell manufacturing site. Along with these highly specialized processes, the building also provides the spaces and resources needed for entrepreneurs and inventors to develop life-saving products while establishing connections to local, regional, and national science, business, and investment resources.