Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge

Exterior of the Sainsbury Laboratory from the Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Academic affiliation	University of Cambridge
Endowment	Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Director	Henrik Jönsson
Location	Cambridge , United Kingdom
Architect	Stanton Williams

The Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (or SLCU) is a special research center in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. It gets its funding independently. The main goal of SLCU is to understand how plants grow and develop. Scientists here study the tiny systems that control a plant's life.

Who Leads the Research at SLCU?

Many talented scientists work at the Sainsbury Laboratory. They lead different research teams. As of 2022, some of the main leaders include:

• Professor Henrik Jönsson, who has been the Director since 2020.
• Dr James Locke, who is an Associate Director.
• Professor Ottoline Leyser, who was the Director from 2013 to 2020.
• Professor Yrjö Helariutta, a research group leader.
• Professor Elliot Meyerowitz, the first Director of the lab.
• Professor Giles Oldroyd, another research group leader.

The Story of the Sainsbury Laboratory

The Sainsbury Laboratory is home to about 120 plant scientists. They study how plants grow and how different types of plants came to be. They work in very modern labs.

The building was made possible by a huge gift of £82 million. This money came from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. This foundation is part of the Sainsbury family's charity work. The work done at this lab helps other plant research, like that at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich.

Construction of the large building started in February 2008. It was built in a private part of the Botanic Garden. The building was finished in December 2010. Elizabeth II, the Queen, officially opened the building on April 27, 2011.

The lab building also has special areas for growing plants. It is also home to the University Herbarium. A herbarium is like a museum for plants. It holds over one million dried plant samples from all over the world. This collection includes many plants gathered by Charles Darwin during his famous Beagle Voyage. It also has old scientific materials about plants found in the 1700s and 1800s.

The Laboratory Building

The Sainsbury Laboratory building is designed to be very eco-friendly. It uses solar panels to create 10% of its own energy. This helps meet local city rules. The building has also earned an 'Excellent' rating for its environmental design.

There is a public café called the Gilmour Suite in one part of the lab. Visitors to the Botanic Garden can enjoy food and drinks here. It is open all year during the garden's hours. In 2012, the building won a big award for its design, called the Stirling Prize.

Here are some facts about the building:

Artwork at the Lab

The Sainsbury Laboratory has several interesting pieces of art. These artworks add to the building's unique design.

Images for kids

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  Stairs inside the lab building

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  The auditorium where talks are held

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  Workspaces inside the laboratory