Cramlington construction firm Merit to build new lab for Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer Moderna

The lab will be constructed in Cramlington and then transported to Oxfordshire.

There it will be joined on to Moderna’s planned innovation and technology centre, where the firm known for making Covid-19 jabs is hoping to produce more mRNA vaccines.

Tony Wells, CEO of Merit, said: “Our pioneering offsite construction methods are ideal for Moderna’s state-of-the-art medical research.

“We have been collaborating over the past six months to develop an innovative, product-based solution that suits their specific requirements.

“We are looking forward to delivering the project at speed, leveraging the efficiencies and improved productivity we can achieve with our approach.”

The Merit-constructed laboratory will be used as a clinical biomarker lab.

Biomarkers are molecules that scientists test for in samples of blood, body fluids, or tissue, in order to learn about how a person is responding to medical treatment.