Consolidated Forensics Laboratory Receives Approval for BSL-3 Operations

The District of Columbia received approval in November of 2013 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to begin BSL-3 research operations at the Consolidated Forensics Laboratory in Washington. The secure facility will enable the city's Public Health Laboratory to perform biological analysis of select agents and toxins. The $210 million, 300,000-sf Consolidated Forensics Laboratory opened in fall of 2012. Obtaining regulatory approval for BSL-3 research can take up to two years; the short duration of time to accreditation was accomplished by rigorous team-based operations training.