The Florida Institute of Technology will begin construction this spring on a new $18 million biomedical research facility.

The 61,000-square-foot Health Sciences Research Center will include 20,000 square feet of new classroom and training space and feature state-of-the-art technologies for advanced research into orthopedics, tissue engineering and computational simulations.

The additional space will allow the university to dramatically expand its biomedical engineering and premedical programs, both of which will be housed in the new facility on its expected completion in 2022.

"We anticipate nearly doubling the size of our student body" in those programs, said Marco Carvalho, dean of the College of Engineering and Science.

More:What does a scientist look like? Not like you think, Florida Tech faculty, students say

"(Biomedical engineering) is our most rapidly growing program, but we ran out of space for lab capabilities. ... Our premedical program (has) been held static for an extended period for lack of space," Florida Tech President Dwayne McCay said. "We're pretty excited about this opportunity."

The new building also will clear the way for the school to grow its aerospace and ocean engineering programs, which will take over the old biomedical and premedical spaces after the move.

Researchers and students will have access to an arsenal of cutting-edge research equipment at the new facility, including a suite of florescent and laser scanning microscopes, tissue-testing machines and high-performance modeling and simulation software.

"We're building a virtual lab for anatomy and dissection, which is pretty new and will allow us to do some state-of-the-art research in virtual space," Carvalho said.

More:What would have happened in the Space Race if the Soviets landed the first man on the moon?

The research center is the latest in a series of anticipated expansions for Florida Tech. Another eight to 10 facilities are planned over the next decade, McCay said, including plans for the school's own on-campus medical school.

"It's a boon for a us, for the students themselves and for the reputation that will come from this facility," McCay said. "It lets us flex our muscles a little bit and show ourselves off to the county and the nation, even the world."

The facility will be built on the current Olin Quad in the south campus area and will be funded through the sale of tax-exempt educational facility revenue bonds.

Eric Rogers is the education watchdog reporter for FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Rogers at 321-242-3717 or esrogers@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricRogersFT.