Tailored Lab Design Powers Innovation in Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Abingdon Health USA Inc. celebrates the opening of its new state-of-the-art lab and commercial office in Madison, WI, marking a major milestone in its US expansion and commitment to point-of-care diagnostics. All images: Courtesy of Abingdon Health USA Inc.

Abingdon Health USA Inc. has officially opened the doors to its new state-of-the-art laboratory and commercial office at the MGE Innovation Center in University Research Park in Madison, WI, marking a key milestone in the company's US expansion. Designed to support the company's rapid growth and strengthen its presence in the American market, the new facility combines modern lab space with commercial operations to serve a growing customer base in point-of-care diagnostics.

The design and construction of the space were tailored to meet the needs of a global diagnostics leader, with a focus on flexibility, regulatory readiness, and collaboration. Developed in partnership with regional stakeholders and industry supporters, the facility reflects Madison's rising profile as a hub for biohealth innovation and offers Abingdon Health a strategic base of operations within one of the country's most dynamic life sciences ecosystems.

The project team included Findorff (J.H. Findorff and Son) (general contractor), Capitol Mechanical Inc. (mechanical contractor), Faith Technologies (electrical contractor), Monona Plumbing & Fire Protection (plumbing), and Strang (architect/designer).

Lab Design News spoke to Mark Jones, chief operating officer at Abingdon Health, about the design and construction of the company’s new Madison facility, including how user feedback, workflow needs, and future scalability shaped the lab’s layout and infrastructure.

Abingdon Health collaborated closely with end users and Madison University Research Park to redesign the space from a blank shell, enabling a custom lab layout with a low-humidity environment and integrated commercial office area to support efficient diagnostic workflows.

Q: How did you incorporate input from end users—scientists, technicians, and commercial staff—into the design and layout of the new lab and office space? Were there any specific workflow challenges or priorities that influenced the final layout or infrastructure decisions? 

A: Obtaining input from the end user of the space is always a critical step in these programs, and at Abingdon Health, we have been in a fortunate position to have already purpose-built laboratory spaces a number of times previously. We, therefore, already had a good outline of what the business and end users would want the space layout to be in terms of segmentation of spaces to create a good workflow in the laboratory. Our main challenge was incorporating a low humidity-controlled environment (<20 percent RH) in the lab space to allow for small-scale assembly of lateral flow devices and also the incorporation of a commercial office area in a space that already had a set layout. We overcame this by working with Madison University Park to basically agree to return the space to an empty shell and build the layout from a blank template rather than trying to shoehorn it into the in-situ layout. This really turned out well, as the space was able to be designed to allow for a suitable commercial space without causing any issues with access into the biosafety level 2 laboratory, along with the inclusion of the low humidity environment.

Q: What future-facing design elements were included to accommodate evolving technologies and diagnostic research needs? For example, did you plan for modular lab zones, digital integration, or flexible infrastructure?

A: Our main consideration was future expansion and how we would manage that effectively in the US. The research lab itself shouldn't require any future modifications, but how do we increase manufacturing capability and scale increase will be our main challenge. We believe that the setup at UW Madison will help us in the mid-term until we reach a point where we truly outgrow and would need to seek a dedicated manufacturing facility.

The new lab features specialized equipment and dedicated zones—including a low-humidity environment and BSL2 space—designed to accelerate the development and testing of lateral flow diagnostics for a variety of sample types.

Q: How did the collaborative ecosystem in Madison—including UW-Madison and local biohealth partners—influence the design or site selection for this facility?

A: The support and help provided by UW-Madison, Findorff, and BioForward Wisconsin drastically influenced our decision-making on location selection and lab layout. UW Madison was very interactive in all of our conversations and build-out process. Input to the laboratory layout was supported by the UW architects, Strang, and the UW-Madison team to ensure we reached an optimal output. The offering at the UW-Madison site support also means we can focus on delivery in the new laboratory, as we know we have a support network for any facility issues encountered. We also know the building contractor, Findorff, is responsive and flexible to support any issues or future needs with a rapid response.

Q: Can you speak to any unique lab features or equipment installed that reflect Abingdon Health's specialization in rapid diagnostics and regulatory services? Were there any design elements specifically tailored to point-of-care diagnostic workflows?

A: Within the laboratory space, we have optimized our ability to swiftly assess new lateral flow development projects with an area for the production of nanoparticle conjugates, an area for dispensation of reagents (nanoparticle, antibodies, antigens, peptides, etc.) utilizing specialized reagent dispensation equipment in order to accurately and reproducibly produce lateral flow tests, a dedicated low humidity environment (<20 percent RH) in order for us to laminate, cut, assemble, and seal in a foil pouch R&D devices for testing; and, finally, a working BSL2 to allow us to test most sample types that we are asked to work with (i.e. blood, plasma, serum, urine, saliva, etc). This workflow will allow us to rapidly assess and determine the initial conditions required for a new lateral flow test in order to prove the concept of new tests.

Q: Given your global expansion goals, how did the design team approach scalability and adaptability to support future growth at this site or in other US locations?

A: At Abingdon Health, we know that we will continue to grow our capability, and so this was at the forefront of our site selection process. We would need a site that would have the flexibility to allow for a step-wise expansion approach until we have an established routine in the US. Again, UW-Madison is able to offer room leases on a modular basis to allow us to grow at the right time into the right space. We will look to stay in Madison long-term, given how supportive the area has been to our first set up in the US.

Q: Were there any sustainability or energy-efficiency goals integrated into the facility design, particularly given the increasing importance of green lab practices?

Supported by UW-Madison, Strang Architecture, and Findorff, Abingdon Health’s new lab benefited from a collaborative planning process aligned with the University Research Park’s long-term sustainability goals, including net-zero emissions and 100 percent renewable electricity.

A: The laboratory area has a very high natural amount of light in the lab space for employees' comfort and reduced levels of powered lighting needed in the summertime. We used low-VOC paint and low-VOC adhesive for the flooring, and we re-used as much material from the existing space as possible to eliminate waste in the landfill. Also, the flooring was made from recycled products.

Being a tenant of the University Research Park in Madison, our laboratory design did not need to incorporate any sustainability features above what has been mentioned—however, The University of Wisconsin-Madison's (UW-Madison) sustainability plan, which encompasses University Research Park in Madison, WI, includes goals for net-zero emissions by 2048, 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, and zero waste by 2040, which will feed into the laboratory utility requirements.

Q: What lessons did your team learn during the planning and construction process that could inform future Abingdon Health sites or expansions in the US?

A: Having the right partners is key to helping manage your project through the planning process, and subsequent build-out is vital. If you have confidence the right decisions are being made at the right time, it allows you to focus on the niche aspects of the build without too much noise causing a distraction. UW Madison, Strang Architecture, and Findorff really helped support the process through the various stages, which made the journey a seamless one with the budget being achieved.