Post-conference tours

Post-conference tours mmust be booked via the online registration site. Spaces are limited.

Tour 1: Victoria University of Wellington, Te Toki a Rata, the Gateway Building

Victoria University of Wellington has expanded its Kelburn campus with a new science teaching and research building (Te Toki a Rata), completed at the end of 2017. Te Toki a Rata has added 12,500m2 of science teaching, research and laboratory facilities to the Kelburn campus and encompasses modern teaching and research environments that are designed for the digital age. Te Toki a Rata supports the University’s aspiration of becoming the pre-eminent institution at which to study biological sciences in New Zealand. The building’s cutting-edge design, including collaborative laboratory and learning and teaching environments, enables Victoria to work towards achieving this goal.

This tour will be led by Richard Sale, Senior Architect, Conrad Gargett and Adrian Bibby, Senior Risk and Compliance Advisor for Victoria University of Wellington and will cover.

  • Innovative architecture on a topographically challenged site

  • PC2 research laboratories 

  • Collaborative science teaching laboratories

  • Vivarium

  • Seismic construction

Target audience: Laboratory facility managers, researchers, teachers, architects, engineers

Schedule:

9.00am Meet in main foyer of QT Museum Wellington, 90 Cable St, Te Aro, Wellington
9.15am Bus departs
9.30am - 11.30am Tour
11.30am Depart Victoria University of Wellington, Te Toki a Rata, the Gateway Building
11.45am Return to QT Museum Wellington, 90 Cable St, Te Aro, Wellington

Tour 2: Malaghan Institute of Medical Research

The Malaghan Institute is New Zealand’s leading independent biomedical research institute. However they have developed and maintain close collaborative relationships with tertiary institutions, Crown Research Institutes, hospitals and clinics throughout New Zealand, they also work with many international collaborators to progress research. Their focus is research in cancer, asthma & allergies, nutrition & microbiome, multiple sclerosis and parasitic. Malaghan maintains a first class small animal colony (Rats and Mice) for use in research and this is the area this tour will focus on.

This tour will cover

  • Brief overview of Malaghan, some of the current work programs and why small animals are needed

  • Animals; Ethical considerations, animal usage, housing, colony maintenance

  • Cryo preservation of genetic material 

Target audience: Those working (or interested in working) with animals; those dealing with ethical requirements

Schedule:

9.00am Meet in main foyer of QT Museum Wellington, 90 Cable St, Te Aro, Wellington
9.15am Bus departs
9.30am - 11.30am Tour
11.30am Depart Depart Malaghan Institute of Medical Research
11.45am Return to QT Museum Wellington, 90 Cable St, Te Aro, Wellington

Tour 3: The National Biocontainment Laboratory (MPI) - Fully booked

The new National Biocontainment Laboratory is currently nearing the end of construction in Upper Hutt, 30km north of Wellington.  This new laboratory will be used to support biosecurity and health diagnostics, surveillance and research for high risk organisms. This tour will allow conference delegates to get a unique inside perspective on the 3,400 square metre facility as its near completion, prior to laboratory work commencing and the containment areas being locked down.  The building comprises a basement with seismic protection works, an enhanced PC2 laboratory on the ground floor, an enhanced PC3 facility on the first floor and two floors of plant above.  The new laboratory has a number of novel features including base isolation (which allow for movement of up to 900mm in any direction during an earthquake), flexible air tight wall joints, ceiling HEPA filtration and specialised wall and ceiling panels.  It is also designed to allow expansion of the high-level containment area in a disease emergency.  Delegates will be required to climb staircases during the tour and wear PPE.  Unfortunately, no photography is permitted in the facility for security reasons.

Target audience: 

  • Both Biosafety and Biocontainment people

  • Those interested in a wide range engineering aspects of high level containment facilities and the considerations for building in an active seismic zone.

  • Suppliers of lab services or equipment

  • Anyone working in a high level containment facilities

Schedule:

1.00pm Meet in main foyer of QT Museum Wellington, 90 Cable St, Te Aro, Wellington
1.15pm Bus departs
2.00pm - 3.30pm Tour
3.30pm Depart MPI
4.00pm Return to QT Museum Wellington, 90 Cable St, Te Aro, Wellington