John Maynard Smith building - Photo © N Chadwick geograph.org.uk/p/6526190

Over £5m funding from the Office for Students (OfS) has been confirmed to expand and overhaul two key teaching laboratories at the University of Sussex. Creating the infrastructure to deliver world-class laboratory practical work fully integrated with digital skills, computational work and data analysis, the work will result in flexible, multifunctional spaces in the John Maynard Smith building. Students will learn cutting-edge research techniques and content, gather data, and analyse this on site or remotely. The new facilities will support flexible learning patterns to fully prepare students from a diverse range of backgrounds for the world of work.

The capital funding is part of funds from the OfS to support buildings, facilities and equipment across universities in England.

One part of the work will comprise of the expansion and complete refit of our largest Bioscience teaching laboratory, creating a multifunctional teaching space with a capacity of 100, benefitting over 2,000 students per year across molecular and cell biology teaching, whole animal biology, anatomy and physiology. The second part will be the expansion and refit of the Neuroscience and Psychology teaching laboratory to provide microscopy and image analysis facilities for use by 500 students per year.

Sarah Guthrie, Head of the School of Life Sciences said: "I am really delighted and excited that we have been awarded this funding by the Office for Students, which will hugely enhance the experience of Life Sciences students. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped to conceptualise and draft the bid, and assisted with the design."

Our Vice-Chancellor Sasha Roseneil said: “Since before I arrived at Sussex in the summer I have been aware of the need to improve our biosciences facilities, and particularly our teaching laboratories. So I am thrilled with the announcement of this new funding and very grateful to the OfS and to everyone who was involved in preparing the bid. I am eager to see these efforts pay off when we open these new world-class labs, in which we will train the next generation of life scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists.”