At the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, 50,000-55,000 square feet of the 350,000-square-foot tower is devoted to lab space to handle “moderate-risk” infectious agents. The infectious disease labs are part of the UT System’s efforts to focus on public health in the $300 million Texas Medical Center. The 10-story building broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled to be complete in 2026, with students set to move in that fall.

The infectious disease and wet labs will be on the fourth and fifth floors, and the administration will be on the upper floors. The new building’s first three floors will be devoted to education spaces like classrooms, and an auditorium will be on the second and third floors.

The school will also include an insectarium, where mosquitoes can be studied as disease vectors. CDC specifications for BSL-2 labs include self-closing doors and sealed windows.

Vaughn Construction is serving as general contractor for the project.