Laying the groundwork for discovery
Decades on, Ian Taylor reflects on how a building became a community and a catalyst
Before there were scientists, sequencers or even a sign on the door, there was Ian Taylor and a building site full of potential.
In late 1998, Ian got a call from Professor John Mattick, who had a vision for a world-class molecular bioscience institute at The University of Queensland. He asked Ian if he’d be interested in helping bring it to life. That call marked the beginning of a decades-long journey. “I guess you could say I was the first card-carrying member of IMB,” Ian smiles. “Before there was anything, I was here.”
As Director of Operations, Ian wasn’t just keeping the lights on, he was helping shape the very foundations of the institute. He’d worked closely with Atlantic Philanthropies during his time at QIMR and played a key role in securing their funding support for what would become IMB’s new home. That early investment helped push the Queensland Government to commit, and federal funding soon followed.
With the funding locked in, Ian worked hand-in-hand with the team at Wilson Architects to develop the design brief, before collaborating with renowned architect Daryl Jackson to refine the plans. And while he wasn’t the one holding the pencil, Ian’s fingerprints are all over the building.
“IMB got a really good deal,” he says. “We were able to think big, and that thinking shaped everything—from the layout of the labs to how people would interact inside them.”
It was clear from the start that this wouldn’t be a traditional research facility. Gone were the closed-off lab boxes Ian had seen at other institutes and in their place came open-plan spaces, shared equipment hubs and a design that encouraged scientists to quite literally bump into each other.
“It was about flow,” Ian explains. “Microscopy, structural biology, chemistry—everything was laid out to make collaboration feel natural.”
Sensitive equipment like the NMR magnets were tucked safely on the ground floor where vibration was minimal. Animal facilities were also placed downstairs for ease of movement. Chemistry went to the top, so the fume hoods could vent without cutting through every level. It was all part of a bigger strategy, make the space work for the science, not the other way around.
Ian remembers moments that could have derailed the project. Budget pressures loomed, and there were calls to scale back. But instead, John Mattick did the opposite: he added another floor. “It sounds wild, but it made sense,” Ian shrugs. “If you believe in the vision, you don’t shrink it.”
State Government backing and support from Peter Beattie and the Smart State Initiative in the early days allowed IMB to equip its labs to a high standard, helping attract top-tier talent from across the globe. Having worked on the Bancroft Centre, Ian knew that well-fitted labs and streamlined services made a world of difference and, IMB’s offering was ahead of its time.
“We didn’t just build a building—we built a community,” Ian says.
From innovative floor manager roles reporting through operations (not group leaders), to centralised support services many researchers had never experienced before. Everything was designed to make science seamless. Even those who were initially sceptical came around. Ian recalls a research lead who had trained at Yale and worked at Harvard who was very wary of open-plan research area. Three years in, she told him they were the best labs in the country.
For Ian, success came down to more than just bricks and mortar. It was the people. “We had this incredible critical mass of brilliant scientists: Little, Craik, Koopman, Lewis, Stow and Hume. Glenn King came in and made a huge impact. When you put that kind of brainpower in a space designed for connection, magic happens.”
Still, IMB carved out a space for itself. A place where scientists weren’t burdened with teaching loads. A place supported by leadership like DVCR David Siddle and later Vice-Chancellor Paul Greenfield, who didn’t just approve big decisions, they enabled them. A place that dared to imagine a new model for research.
All these years later, Ian is still part of that story. The building may have grown and some of the founding faces may have moved on but his belief in the IMB vision hasn’t wavered.
“We had the right people, the right space, and the right time,” Ian says. “That’s rare. And we made the most of it.”