The University of South Alabama College of Medicine has selected Barganier Davis Sims Architects to design its Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LID). Supported by $14.5 million in stimulus funding from the National Institutes of Health, 25,800-sf facility will be located in the University of South Alabama Technology and Research Park in Mobile. The BSL-3 facility is slated for completion by March of 2013.
Pennsylvania State University was awarded $14.8 million in stimulus funding in March of 2010 to construct a biocontainment laboratory in University Park. The 20,000-sf laboratory will support research on infectious diseases and pathogens. Construction will begin in early 2011 and reach completion within two years.
The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory broke ground on a BSL-3 laboratory in Amarillo in March of 2010. The addition and renovation project is slated for completion in early 2011. The facility will support rapid response to agricultural or zoonotic disease threats.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is partnering with Battelle, IBM, Merck, and GE Healthcare to plan the construction of a vaccine factory in the Pittsburgh area. Operated in partnership with the federal government, the facility would support rapid response to bioterrorism and infectious disease threats. The construction cost of the vaccine factory is estimated at $900 million.
India’s National Institute of Virology is building a BSL-4 laboratory in Pune, Maharashtra. The facility is slated for completion in December of 2010. The lab will provide research facilities for the study of infectious diseases and pathogens including H1N1.
Haffkine will open a BSL-3 laboratory for H1N1 testing in August of 2010. The renovated facility is located in Mumbai and represents a government investment of Rs 4.5 crore (Rs 450M or $9.8M).
West Virginia University was awarded $14.5 million in stimulus funding in March of 2010 to build a biomedical research facility in Morgantown. Located adjacent to the existing Health Sciences Center, the 22,000-sf project will include modern animal housing space and biosafety laboratories.
Charles Sturt University opened the $8.2 million Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory in Wagga Wagga in February of 2010. Providing space for animal disease detection and post-mortem examinations of livestock, the secure facility features a PC3 (physical containment level three) laboratory for infectious disease research on select agents such as anthrax, Q-fever, and psittacosis.
The Queensland Institute of Medical Research broke ground in February of 2010 the $179 million Smart State Medical Research Centre in Brisbane. Housing 20 new research laboratories for the study of emerging infectious diseases, genetics, cancer, mental illness, and vaccine development, the 13-story facility will accommodate 400 scientists and students. Completion is expected in early 2012.
Kansas State University was awarded $12 million in February of 2010 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to support research in zoonotic and animal disease defense. The grant will establish a Center of Excellence to develop vaccines, diagnostic methods, pandemic modeling tools, and educational programs.
The University of Florida celebrated the opening of the $60 million Emerging Pathogens Institute in Gainesville in January of 2010. Providing BSL-2 and BSL-3 research laboratories, the 80,000-sf building supports research on select agents and pathogens that affect human, animal, and plant populations. Housing 150 researchers, the 108,000-sf facility provides 28 labs, three BSL-3 greenhouses, offices, and support. Ground was broken on the project in February of 2008. LEED Silver certification will be sought for the project.
The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism released an evaluation of the United States’ biosecurity measures in January of 2010. The report asserts that the nation is ill-prepared for a biological attack and recommends a restructuring of biothreat response protocols and oversight. For more information, read the report card (PDF).
The State of Maryland will break ground by year-end 2010 on the 200,000-sf Public Health Laboratory in East Baltimore. The $180 million facility will house 250 employees and is slated for completion in late 2013. The project will be sited on two acres in the Science + Technology Park at Hopkins and will house 41 high-level biocontainment laboratories.
The Working Group on Strengthening the Biosecurity of the United States released a report in January of 2010 that recommends a new system for the handling, storage, and management of select agents used in research. The report proposes a stratified system that would implement more controls for the most hazardous agents and less stringent requirements for agents of lower risk.
Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine is planning to renovate its research facilities in Columbus. Supported by $3.9 million in stimulus funding, the project involves renovation of 8,000-sf on the second floor of Goss Lab to create BSL-2 laboratories, offices, and a dedicated rodent phenotyping and infectious necropsy lab.
