WSU Breaks Ground On New Plant Sciences Building

Late last month, Washington State University broke ground on the school’s new state-of-the-art Plant Sciences Building on the Pullman campus.  The $52 million Plant Sciences Building is the fourth of six planned buildings in the V. Lane Rawlins Research and Education Complex.  Rich Koenig, Associate Dean with the WSU College of Agriculture Human and Natural Resources, says there is a real need on campus for an updated, 21^st century research facility.  He added this will also give WSU the needed lab space now, and into the future.

“But also growth rooms and plant growth facilities, and then also what we’re calling now new space for the next generation of scientists who work on computational biology and big data management that supports research.”

The new Plant Sciences Building will replace space currently uses in Johnson Hall, which was built in 1959.  Koenig said not only will this facility help researchers, but it will also be a direct benefit to growers across Washington and the Northwest.

“So, you’ll see research in this building focused on what’s call secondary metabolite that plants produce.  Those are very important and translate into things like oil for mint, and the mint industry, for juice, and grapes so, wine grapes and table grapes.”

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