The new J. Craig Venter Institute, a $39 million laboratory on the UC San Diego campus, will open in November this year — and has begun touting itself as the “most environmentally friendly and only net zero energy biological laboratory in the world.”

The center said it will support about 125 scientists and other staffers to study genomics research and policy. It is planning to apply for LEED Platinum Certification — a rigorous series of guidelines that dictate a building’s level of environmental sustainability.

The building is being designed to reduce energy use, conserve water and employ renewable power generation. It will feature a photovoltaic roof to bring in solar power, and will collect rainwater in underground cisterns to use for plumbing, cooling and site irrigation, the center said.

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