STF-2: Operating costs for biocontainment facilities

With the prospect of bringing significant amounts of new BSL-3 space on line, research organizations are now having to budget for the extra costs of running and maintaining these types of facilities.  What are those costs?  Here, Tim Mandrell and Judd Johnson facilitate a discussion on the results of the 2006 Benchmarking Study of BSL-3 Operating Costs and what study participants are doing to mitigate costs.  This detailed study examines 100+ different cost elements, including annual testing and certification, utilities, maintenance of special equipment, filter maintenance, decontamination, and waste handling. The session is open to all conference participants.

Special Feature: We invite you to contribute to a comprehensive survey instrument that will collect and assimilate biocontainment facility operating and maintenance costs. Results of the pooled data will be distributed to all institutions that participate in the cost study, and reviewed during this sonference session. Please email bill@tradelineinc.com  for further information on particpating.

Leaders:

• Judd Johnson -- Director of Facilities Operations, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division
• Timothy D. Mandrell DVM, DACLAM -- Professor, Chair - Dept of Comparative Medicine, University of Tennessee, Health Science Center