University of Michigan president Mark Schlissel, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, and several university administrators, staff, faculty and students were on hand Friday morning for the dedication andgrand opening of the new $46 million nanomechanial engineering building on North Campus.

The 62,880-square-foot, three-story Center of Excellence in Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering an addition to the G.G. Brown Laboratory Building was a structure more than four years in the making, as the Board of Regents approved it in 2010, and construction began in 2011.

"This addition is allowing us to take our work of mechanics and materials down to the micro and the nano scale, and extend our reach into the blossoming field of biomechanical science," Schlissel said.

"This project is a great example of how our federal, state and community partners can help us advance the mission of the University of Michigan."

University officials said the project was paid for with a $9.5 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, one of just two dozen facilities to receive construction grants from the organization.

There were also $15 million in contributions from U-M, $6.5 million from the College of Engineering and $15 million in private commitments.

In 2012, Snyder signed a capital outlay bill thatgave U-M $30 million for this and other projects. It was part of a $304 million allotment for capital improvement among public universities in the state.

"NIST and the University of Michigan have a long history of collaboration and partnership. Our researchers, in the past couple years alone, have co-authored well over 100 papers and top-tier journals," said Dr. Jason Boehm, director of the NIST program coordination office.

"I fully expect many more opportunities for NIST and the University of Michigan to collaborate in the future."

U-M professor Ellen Arruda said there is a part of the building called a "breaker space," where researchers will watch the degradation of materials that go into things like cars, airplanes and medical devices.

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U-M hosts grand opening of new $46M nanomechanical science, engineering building