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Biocontainment

Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Lab Receives BSL-4 Research Approval

Published 2/14/2018

Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) has received final approval from the Boston Public Health Commission to conduct research at Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4).  After years of scrutiny by regulatory agencies and city, state, and federal officials, the $200 million laboratory will now be able to work with approved BSL-4 pathogens such as Ebola and Marburg.

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Georgia State University Plans Biocontainment Research Facility

Published 2/3/2018

Georgia State University is planning to construct a $35 million biocontainment research facility in Atlanta. Located on the Downtown campus, the 55,000-sf building will provide BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories for the study of infectious diseases and select agents. The project, which will be the first academic BSL-4 facility in the Southeast, will include open research labs, offices, and support space. 

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Wuhan Institute of Virology Begins BSL-4 Laboratory Operations

Published 1/17/2018

The Wuhan Institute of Virology began operations in its BSL-4 laboratories in January of 2018. Supporting research on infectious diseases and select agents, the biocontainment facility will enable scientists to develop innovative strategies for the detection and mitigation of pathogenic threats. Construction began on the facility in 2011 with trial operations beginning in 2015.

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New Approaches to Pressure Stability in Containment Labs

Published 12/20/2017

Engineered openings that minimize the turbulence of transfer airflow, along with a mix of control strategies between labs and anchor spaces, are a best practice for achieving stable pressurization in biocontainment facilities. “The golden rule of containment is to always maintain the relationship between exhaust and supply,” says Michael Clements, director of life sciences at WorkingBuildings, LLC. “To keep a room contained, airflow fluctuations in the exhaust require a reaction in the supply in order to maintain this critical relationship.”

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Consulting the Experts: Pressing Issues in Animal and Biocontainment Facilities

Published 12/13/2017

In the concluding Open Forum/Town Hall session of Tradeline’s Facility Strategies for Animal Research and Biocontainment conference, moderator Derek Westfall, president of Tradeline, and subject matter commentators, Mark Corey with Flad Architects and Tiffini Lovelace with EYP Architecture & Engineering, led a knowledge exchange on questions posed by conference attendees. This is an edited transcript of that exchange.

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Washington State University Designs Facilities for Animal Health and Plant Sciences

Published 11/28/2017

Washington State University is designing two new research facilities that will be constructed on the Pullman campus. The $40 million Global Animal Health Facility Phase 2 will support the detection and diagnosis of zoonotic diseases and infectious agents such as avian influenza, BSE, foot and mouth disease, West Nile virus, and pandemic flu. The project will also house teaching labs for veterinary medicine.

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USDA Breaks Ground on Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory Renovation

Published 11/24/2017

The U.S. Department of Agriculture broke ground in November of 2017 on a $160 million renovation and expansion of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL) in Athens, Ga. The secure facility will provide biocontainment laboratories to support the detection, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases such as pathogenic avian influenza. Completion is expected by 2020. Merrick & Company developed the Program of Requirements (POR) for the project, which could add approximately 100,000 sf to the 60-year-old campus.

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University of California, Riverside Constructs Multidisciplinary Research Building 1

Published 11/13/2017

The University of California, Riverside is constructing the $150 million Multidisciplinary Research Building 1 (MRB1). Designed by SmithGroupJJR, the five-story, 179,000-sf facility will provide collaborative wet, dry, and computational laboratories to accommodate up to 56 researchers and their teams. The project will include offices, conference rooms, BSL-2 labs, core research space, and a barrier vivarium with animal holding areas, procedure rooms, and support.

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The College of New Jersey Opens STEM Building

Published 11/2/2017

The College of New Jersey opened the $75 million STEM Building in October of 2017 in Ewing Township. Supporting programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the 89,000-sf facility houses the departments of biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science. Designed by EYP Architecture & Engineering to provide integrated teaching and research space, the multidisciplinary building offers classrooms, informal learning areas, a metal fabrication workshop, and a physiology lab.

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National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center Awarded Full Funding

Published 10/5/2017

The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center at Fort Detrick was awarded full funding by the U.S. House of Representatives in September of 2017. Although the Department of Homeland Security had previously intended to close the facility, the recent appropriations bill has restored the laboratory’s entire $60 million budget, enabling the 160,000-sf center to continue its research on infectious diseases and pathogens. The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center provides BSL-4, BSL-3, and BSL-2 laboratories.

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Monash University Constructs Biomedical Learning and Teaching Building

Published 10/4/2017

Monash University is constructing the Biomedical Learning and Teaching Building in Victoria. Designed by Denton Corker Marshall, the $81 million facility will feature four flexible labs that can be configured and conjoined to accommodate 60, 120, or 240 students. Supporting programs in microbiology, anatomy, biochemistry, immunology, and physiology, the 123,700-sf building will provide Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) labs, technology-rich dissection labs, breakout spaces, and a 12,900-sf informal learning hub.

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NASA Ames Research Center Breaks Ground on Biosciences Collaboration Facility

Published 9/21/2017

Nasa Ames Research Center broke ground in August of 2017 on the $40 million Biosciences Collaboration Facility at Moffett Field in northern California. The two-story, 40,000-sf facility will provide 19,000 sf of BSL-2 wet labs and support and 21,000 sf of office and conference space. Designed for ease of reconfiguration, the project will include interdisciplinary research areas, procedure rooms, a radiation lab, environmental rooms, and a tissue culture suite.

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South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Lab Breaks Ground on Expansion and Renovation

Published 9/9/2017

The South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory broke ground in August of 2017 on a $58 million expansion and renovation of its Brookings facility. Located on the campus of South Dakota State University, the project includes 81,000 sf of new construction, including 3,762 sf of BSL-3 space and BSL-2E necropsy space. The existing laboratory space will subsequently be renovated. The project will support diagnostic testing and vaccine development for the prevention of infectious diseases. Completion is expected in 2020.

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UC Riverside Completes BSL-3 Renovation

Published 8/26/2017

The University of California, Riverside completed a $2 million BSL-3 renovation project in August of 2017. An existing laboratory facility was transformed by BNBuilders into a 1,383-sf life science research suite with an anteroom, gowning room, shower area, procedure rooms, autoclave, and biosafety cabinets. The project will support faculty research programs for the School of Medicine and is supplied by dedicated mechanical systems.

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Department of Homeland Security Awards NBAF Contract to Merrick

Published 7/13/2017

Merrick & Company will support the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate in the development of operational planning, IT infrastructure, biorepository transfer, and acquisition of future contracts for stand-up and operation of the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) now under construction in Manhattan, Kansas.

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