Biocontainment

The research infrastructure department at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University’s showcase research center, employs a dedicated facilities service organization with considerable in-house expertise, and granular benchmarking tools that track utilities and facilities costs in multiple categories of lab space, from LEED-certified green building features to general wet labs to secure ABSL-3 labs with a select agent program. In a state-sponsored research environment, where operating costs can go as high as $170 per net sf, optimizing building efficiency is critical.

Texas Tech University dedicated the 1,600-sf Biological Threat Research Laboratory in Lubbock in January of 2014. The BSL-3 facility supports basic and applied research on biological pathogens and toxins. Construction began on the $2.4 million project in September of 2012 and reached completion in summer of 2013.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology completed construction in January of 2015 on China's first maximum containment biosafety laboratory. Located in the Hubei province, the facility will support research on Class 4 Pathogens (P4) including Ebola and smallpox. The lab was created in partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Institut Merieux, a French biomedical firm. Construction began on the project in July of 2011.

The New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is building a new 6,500-sf facility in Durham. Located on the campus of the University of New Hampshire, the $2.5 million project will support the detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases. The facility represents a partnership between the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center’s Regional Biocontainment Lab (RBL) recently organized and launched a select-agent-based study in just 30 days from inception to conclusion, thanks to the organization’s highly efficient operational framework. Fast tracking of the study—which involved aerosol exposure of 38 immunized mice to Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia—was made possible through the facility’s strategic management and cross-trained staffing model.

Qatar University has selected WorkingBuildings of Atlanta to design, build, and provide operational support for the new BSL-3 Select Agent Laboratory in Doha, Qatar. Located at the New Research Complex, the facility will support the study of emerging infectious diseases and other biological threats. The laboratory will enable rapid response to regional public health issues as well as accommodating investigations involving biological or chemical terrorism.

The three-story International Vaccine Centre (InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan is one of the largest vaccine research centers in the world and the largest in North America. It is connected by a walkway to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) laboratory building in a cluster of life sciences R&D facilities at the University. The facilities operate together as VIDO-InterVac, one of only a few BSL-3 facilities in the world that can accommodate disease and vaccine research involving animals as large as cows.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning a 100,000-sf expansion and renovation of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (SEPRL) in Athens. The $155 million project will support research on avian influenza and other infectious diseases at the 35-building complex. SEPRL was awarded $45 million in federal funding in December of 2014 to initiate the design and construction process.

Rajiv Gandhi National Centre for Biotechnology is planning to build a BSL-4 laboratory for avian influenza research in Thiruvananthapuram, India. The $9.7 million facility will be housed in the Microbial Containment Complex and will meet international safety standards. The project will support diagnostic testing for infectious diseases including H5N1, Ebola, Nipah, and Crimean Congo virus.

Regulatory requirements for using directional airflow as the primary method of containment in BSL-3 labs is a simple concept, however the engineering and controls required for today’s facilities present an array of challenges when it comes to conducting “failure scenario” tests during commissioning and shutdown, and startup procedures during normal operations. Maintaining collaboration between the occupants, an experienced architect, and an objective third-party commissioning partner while designing or redesigning a BSL-3 lab can prevent costly delays and complications.

Texas A&M University broke ground on the $53 million Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in November of 2014. The 90,000-sf facility will house advanced technologies for sample testing to support animal and human health as well as food safety. Designed by Perkins+Will, the project will feature integrated laboratories, a full-service necropsy suite, and BSL-2 and BSL-3 areas. Vaughn Construction will begin building the facility in spring of 2015 with completion in approximately 18 months.

The Pirbright Institute opened the $215 million National Virology Centre in October of 2014 in the United Kingdom. Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the CL-4 biocontainment facility will accommodate research on infectious diseases including avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, and swine fever. Built by Shepherd Construction, the 119,100-sf project will support vaccine development and the creation of technologies for animal disease detection, prevention, and response.

Using a verification planning process to meet current regulations—for directional airflow, atmospheric pressure reference, containment barriers, and other common compliance measures—with solutions based on risk analysis and standard operating procedures (SOPs), takes a project through planning and design to fully licensed and operational, and helps minimize spending on solutions to a level that is risk-appropriate.

The Vermont Department of Health opened the $31 million Public Health Lab in October of 2014 in Colchester. Created in partnership with the University of Vermont College of Medicine, the 47,844-sf building is physically connected to the UVM Colchester Research Facility to support interactive research on infectious diseases. The project replaces the Department of Health's existing Burlington campus and features a biocontainment suite with five BSL-3 laboratories. Ground was broken on the facility in April of 2013.

The Pirbright Institute for Animal Health has awarded Shepherd Construction a $117 million contract to construct the Biological Resources Facility in the United Kingdom. The four-story, 80,000-sf project will support in-vivo testing for viruses including avian influenza. Completion is expected in 2018. Shepherd finished construction in August of 2014 on the first phase of redevelopment at the Pirbright campus, a $162 million, 119,100-sf biocontainment complex providing CL4 laboratories for animal disease testing and research.