MANASSAS, Va. — ATCC launched its second headquarters expansion with a groundbreaking ceremony that celebrates its continued commitment to innovative science and to the global scientific enterprise and to its local community in Prince William County. The ceremony occurred 21 years – nearly to the day – after ATCC broke ground on its headquarters in November 1998. Expected to be completed by early 2021, the $22 million expansion will increase the building’s size from 126,000 to 161,000 square feet.

Speaking at the ceremony, ATCC Chairman, President and CEO, Raymond H. Cypess said, “Today, ATCC has the distinction of being the leading private, not-for-profit biological resource center in the world, and a critical infrastructure for American competitiveness in science and technology. We are part of a global network of research and public health organizations combatting the threat of ancient scourges and emerging biological diseases – including Malaria, Zika, Tuberculosis, Influenza, Dengue, and West Nile.”

For nearly a century, ATCC has worked at the forefront of life sciences research. Its mission is to authenticate, preserve, develop and distribute biological reference materials which serve as standards for reproducible science outcomes. It now distributes its reference products to more than 150 countries.

Currently, ATCC’s headquarters houses 420 of its 487 employees, over one-third of whom have advanced degrees. The expansion will put its information technology, customer care, technical support and government contract teams under one roof in support of ATCC’s overall mission.

As ATCC brings more jobs to Prince William County, the company continues to serve as the flagship organization of Northern Virginia’s first university-anchored research park – Innovation Park.

“Expansion opportunities happen when the public and private sector both commit to creating a culture, and a place, where jobs are created and where capital investment produces innovative products and services,” said Christina Winn, executive director of Prince William County’s Department of Economic Development. “ATCC’s expansion reflects their growth over the past decades: it has more than doubled its number of employees and has transformed from a simple biorepository to a research center that develops tools and services for making life science research more effective.”

About ATCC

ATCC is a premier global biological materials and information resource and standards organization and the leading developer and supplier of authenticated cell lines and microorganisms. With a history of scientific advancements spanning nearly a century, ATCC offers an unmatched combination of being the world’s largest and most diverse collection of biological research solutions and a mission-driven, trusted partner that supports and encourages scientific collaboration. ATCC products, services, and people provide the scientific community with credible biological products, advanced model systems, and custom solutions that support complex research in a variety of innovative applications resulting in incredible achievements in basic science, drug discovery, translational medicine, and public health. ATCC is a non-profit organization with headquarters in Manassas, VA, and an R&D innovation center in Gaithersburg, MD. To learn more about ATCC, visit www.atcc.org.