Pennsylvania Invests £94M in State-of-the-Art Vet Lab at Penn, Bolton 2026

Key Points

• A Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory worth about $94 million has been initiated by Penn Vet in Kennett Square, Chester County at New Bolton Center.
• The 63,000-square-foot facility will bring together the existing New Bolton Center Diagnostic Laboratory and the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology Research Laboratory (PETRL).
• As per Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026–27 state budget, over $39 million was set aside for diagnostic activities at New Bolton Center.
• Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2028, while both laboratories will move into the new facility in 2029.
• This laboratory will have Biosafety Level 3 high-containment space, which will allow conducting diagnostics for such viruses as avian influenza and African swine fever.
• PETRL is the only laboratory accredited in the US for testing gene doping in racehorses and the only national lab that confirms blood-doping agents.
• In fiscal year 2025–26, the diagnostic team of New Bolton Center performed over 279,000 tests in separate campus buildings.
• This initiative is a part of the biggest expansion of Pennsylvania’s animal diagnostic network since 1991 when PADLS was founded.

Bolton (Manchester Mirror) October 06, 2026 — Pennsylvania agriculture and university officials have marked the groundbreaking of a $94 million Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center. The ceremony was attended by Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Penn Vet Dean Andrew M. Hoffman on the 700-acre campus that serves as the university’s large-animal research hub.

As reported by Hoodline, the new 63,000-square-foot facility will bring together the New Bolton Center Diagnostic Laboratory and the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology Research Laboratory (PETRL), which currently operate from fragmented locations across the campus and, in PETRL’s case, leased space at West Chester University. According to PHILADELPHIA.Today, the unified building will serve agricultural producers, veterinarians, public health officials, and horse racing regulators across Pennsylvania.

Why Is a New Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Needed in Pennsylvania?

The decision to construct a purpose-built diagnostic laboratory follows years of growing demand and operational constraints. In fiscal year 2025–26 alone, New Bolton Center’s diagnostic team ran more than 279,000 tests from buildings scattered across the upper and lower campus, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Statewide, the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System (PADLS) processed 669,788 animal specimens during the same period.

PETRL faces even greater fragmentation. The laboratory processes approximately 30,000 post-race and out-of-competition samples annually from six Pennsylvania racetracks but currently operates from leased space at West Chester University alongside research space at New Bolton Center, as reported by MyChesCo. PETRL holds dual accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025 standards and is the only laboratory in the United States accredited to test for gene doping in racehorses, as well as the sole national lab capable of confirming blood-doping agents such as erythropoietin and darbepoetin, according to Penn Vet.

How Will the New Lab Improve Animal and Public Health?

The new laboratory is designed to strengthen Pennsylvania’s animal disease surveillance system and accelerate diagnostic turnaround times. As reported by Hoodline, agriculture officials describe the facility as intended to enable researchers and veterinarians to respond faster to emerging health threats, supporting animal health, food safety, and equine toxicology work statewide.

The building will include a specialised necropsy suite for post-mortem examinations alongside Biosafety Level 3 high-containment space built to isolate dangerous pathogens such as avian influenza and African swine fever, according to Vet Candy. PADLS laboratories currently track diseases including avian influenza, rabies, chronic wasting disease, and equine herpesvirus.

During a 2015 state budget impasse, Penn Vet ran more than 70,000 avian influenza diagnostic tests without state funding, helping prevent severe livestock losses during a national outbreak, per Penn Vet’s account of the episode. The new facility aims to institutionalise such surge capacity within a modern, purpose-built environment.

Who Funded the $94 Million Veterinary Laboratory Project?

The project draws major backing from Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026–27 state budget, which allocated more than $39 million specifically for New Bolton Center’s diagnostic operations as part of a broader push to safeguard Pennsylvania’s $132 billion agricultural economy, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is the primary state partner supporting the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), which will operate under the PADLS umbrella.

As reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, VDL’s current operations at New Bolton Center are state-supported, with more than $39 million invested in Shapiro’s 2026–27 budget. The new Penn Vet lab will increase research and testing capacity under PADLS, which expanded earlier this year for the first time since the state established the system in 1991, adding a fourth lab in Western Pennsylvania.

When Will the New Bolton Center Lab Be Completed?

Philadelphia-based SMP Architects designed the two-story building planned for 382 W. Street Road in East Marlborough Township, with construction slated to wrap up in 2028 and both laboratories expected to move in during 2029, according to MyChesCo. SMP previously drafted New Bolton Center’s campus master plan and designed the nearby Riepe Center, which the campus recently opened for advanced veterinary education.

The timing aligns with broader state investments in animal diagnostics. Three days after the New Bolton Center groundbreaking, Agriculture Secretary Redding joined Penn State leaders on October 5 to break ground on a companion $65 million, 46,000-square-foot expansion of Penn State’s Animal Diagnostic Lab in University Park, which will also add BSL-3 facilities and a crematorium, as reported by Lancaster Farming. Together with the opening of the Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center at Penn State Beaver earlier this year PADLS’s first expansion in 35 years the two projects represent the most significant overhaul of the state’s animal diagnostic network since 1991, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

What Services Does New Bolton Center Currently Provide?

New Bolton Center treats thousands of animals each year and serves farms throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. Its Hospital for Large Animals handles more than 6,300 patient visits annually, according to Penn Vet. The Field Services team adds over 5,500 farm calls a year, treating roughly 22,400 animals across local agricultural operations — work the large-animal hospital has carried out on the Kennett Square campus since 1964.

The school’s diagnostic capabilities back all major subsectors of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry: poultry and egg production; dairy production; pig, sheep, and goat production; and food manufacturing. Since 1991, Penn Vet has worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania State University to operate PADLS, providing rapid and accurate diagnostic testing.

Background of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Development

The Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System was established in 1991 through a partnership between Penn Vet, Penn State, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to diagnose, contain, and prevent threats to animal health while minimising economic losses. PADLS-NBC (New Bolton Center) is the only site within the system that can provide full veterinary diagnostic services, including identifying new and emerging threats in animals, animal feed, and the environment.

Over the past three decades, demand for diagnostic testing has grown substantially. In fiscal year 2025–26, PADLS processed 669,788 animal specimens statewide, with New Bolton Center alone conducting more than 279,000 tests from fragmented facilities. PETRL, established to support the state’s horse racing industry, has become nationally unique for its gene-doping and blood-doping detection capabilities, processing roughly 30,000 samples annually from six Pennsylvania racetracks.

The 2026–27 state budget’s $39 million allocation to New Bolton Center’s diagnostic operations reflects recognition of the laboratory system’s role in safeguarding Pennsylvania’s $132 billion agricultural economy. The new Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory represents the culmination of years of planning, including SMP Architects’ campus master plan and recent investments in advanced veterinary education infrastructure such as the Riepe Center.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Pennsylvania’s Agricultural and Veterinary Communities

The consolidation of diagnostic and toxicology services into a single, modern facility is likely to reduce turnaround times for test results, enabling veterinarians and farmers to make faster decisions during disease outbreaks. Shorter diagnostic windows can limit the spread of pathogens such as avian influenza, potentially reducing livestock losses and stabilising farm incomes across southeastern Pennsylvania.

For the equine industry, housing PETRL alongside the main diagnostic laboratory may streamline sample logistics and expand research capacity for doping detection. Racing officials and trainers could benefit from more rapid confirmation of test results, while PETRL’s unique national accreditation may attract additional collaborations and funding for equine health research.

Public health officials may also see improved coordination between animal disease surveillance and human health monitoring, particularly for zoonotic threats. The addition of Biosafety Level 3 containment space positions Pennsylvania to respond more effectively to high-consequence pathogens, aligning the state with national biosecurity priorities.

For Penn Vet students and faculty, the new building will provide purpose-built laboratory, office, and examination spaces that support advanced research and training. Over time, this may enhance the school’s ability to recruit specialists in diagnostic pathology, toxicology, and infectious disease, strengthening Pennsylvania’s veterinary workforce pipeline.