The Barsby Building and The Powell Building, named after Professor Tina Barsby and Professor Wayne Powell, are part of NIAB’s recently redeveloped Park Farm site on the outskirts of Cambridge.
Opened in 2019 the buildings contain research laboratories and offices, crop and seed cold storage facilities, and analytical services laboratories. They are also home to the Agronomy and Farming Systems specialists in arable, field vegetables and potatoes, the Official Seed Testing Station, and the crop characterisation, NIAB LabTest, and crop transformation teams.
Photo: Former NIAB Trust chair Jeremy Lewis, Professor Tina Barsby, Professor Wayne Powell and Professor Mario Caccamo
Current NIAB CEO Professor Mario Caccamo highlighted both his predecessors significant contribution to NIAB’s business over the past 15 years as a major factor in the decision in naming the buildings. “The Barsby and Powell Buildings are a lasting legacy to Tina and Wayne’s progressive, forward-thinking business achievements that have shaped NIAB in the 21st century. We’ve been waiting to make this dedication to them since the buildings opened in 2019; this is the first opportunity since the pandemic for us to come together and celebrate.”
Wayne joined NIAB as CEO in 2005, and was responsible for NIAB’s move into genetic and molecular biology research and services and paving the way for the organisation’s further development under Tina’s leadership. Tina joined NIAB in 2006, becoming the organisation’s first female CEO in 2008 before retiring in 2021. She oversaw a phenomenal expansion in research and service provision at NIAB through an ambitious, wide-ranging programme of diversification, investment, merger and acquisition.
The Park Farm site also features The MacLeod Complex, NIAB’s state-of-the-art glasshouses, outdoor ornamental growing facilities and variety and agronomy demonstration area alongside The Sophi Taylor Building, the BREEAM award-winning conference centre and Barn4, a purpose built facility for start-up agritech businesses.
Photo: Project manager David Neill, who managed the redevelopment of Park Farm with Professor Tina Barsby and Professor Wayne Powell