Building on = based on?

Context:

As its base material, a team of researchers led by West and BCM molecular physiologist Mary Dickinson chose polyethylene glycol (PEG), a nontoxic plastic that's widely used in medical devices and food. Building on 10 years of research in West's lab, the scientists modified the PEG to mimic the body's extracellular matrix -- the network of proteins and polysaccharides that make up a substantial portion of most tissues.