Biocontainment

Purdue University dedicated the $33 million Wayne T. and Mary T. Hockmeyer Hall of Structural Biology in October of 2009 in West Lafayette, Ind. The 65,690-sf facility will enable researchers to develop innovative vaccines and disease treatments. Housing the Markey Center for Structural Biology, the building includes eight specialized labs, eight general labs, offices, and conference rooms. The facility provides suites for NMR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction, as well as a biocontainment laboratory.

The National Research Council released a report in late September of 2009 entitled ‘Responsible Research with Biological Select Agents and Toxins’. The report recommends the grading of microorganisms and toxins according to their potential risk and developing a culture of trust and responsibility within research laboratories. For more information, visit the National Academies Press to read the report.

The Trans-Federal Task Force on Optimizing Biosafety and Biocontainment Oversight issued a report in September of 2009 recommeding mandatory biosafety training for workers in biocontainment laboratories. The report also details a system of credentials for lab personnel and suggests that oversight of biosafety protocol should be managed by a single federal organization.

The Office of Health and Safety of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently planning the 11th International Symposium on Biosafety to be held in Atlanta on January 23-27, 2010. The focus of the symposium is “Management Challenges for Safe Operation of BSL3/ABSL3 Facilities.” In addition to the symposium, there will be two days of pre-conference courses.

Aushon BioSystems opened its renovated headquarters and laboratory facility in Billerica, Mass., in September of 2009. Housing an expanded laboratory and manufacturing center with increased automation for improved performance, the facility will support Aushon's multiplex immunoassay manufacturing operations as well as testing and development services. The CLIA-certified laboratories include cleanrooms, cold rooms, and a BSL-2 facility.

Senator Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, proposed the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Prevention and Preparedness Act in September of 2009. The bill would restructure the Select Agent Program by creating a tiered system to enhance security requirements for more dangerous pathogens and lessen controls on others.

Brock University broke ground in September of 2009 on the $111 million Niagara Health and Bioscience Research Complex in St. Catherines, Ontario. The 169,000-sf project will house Canada's only research-dedicated CL3 biocontainment facility. Designed by architectsAlliance in association with Payette, the complex is being built by EllisDon with Crossey Engineering as electrical and mechanical consultant, MHPM as project manager, and Halsall Associates as LEED consultant.

The Institute of Animal Health is planning a £100 million redevelopment of its animal disease research laboratories in Pirbright in the United Kingdom. Supporting research on emerging, existing, and vector-borne infectious diseases in animal and human populations, the project is slated for completion in 2013.

The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) broke ground in late August of 2009 on a $680 million headquarters and biocontainment laboratory in Frederick, Md. Located at Fort Detrick, the BSL-4 facility will support research on infectious diseases and pathogens. Occupancy is expected in May of 2014. The five-story, 800,000-sf facility will house up to 952 researchers, administrators, and technicians.

CSIRO’s Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) is partnering with the Gordon Institute of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) to improve biosafety and biocontainment facility training. The partnership will support creation of an international biocontainment training course for work in BSL-3 and BSL-4 facilities. The pilot version of the course will available in February of 2010.

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) received accreditation from the College of American Pathologists for its Fort Detrick BSL-2 laboratory in August of 2009. The facility supports research on select agents and pathogens.

Indiana University Bloomington opened a new laboratory for the study of select agents and pathogens at the College of Arts and Sciences in August of 2009. The project team included BSA LifeStructures of Indianapolis as architect/engineer of record with CDI of Bloomington as general contractor. Laboratory control systems were provided by Siemens of Indianapolis with commissioning services provided by George Butler Associates of Lenexa, Kan., and VicoCon of Kansas City, Mo.

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center opened its $25 million Regional Biocontainment Laboratory in Memphis in August of 2009. Designed by The Horrell Group and built by Inman Construction, the 31,000-sf BSL-3 facility is located in the UT-Baptist Research Park. Construction will begin on a 30,000-sf vivarium laboratory at the site in 2010.

The State of New York is planning to construct a $40 million laboratory at the Harriman Research and Technology Campus in Albany. As the home of the State Food Laboratory and the State Metrology Laboratory, the 70,000-sf building will house advanced instrumentation and BSL-3 biocontainment laboratories. The three-story facility will be designed and built by the State Office of General Services. LEED Silver certification will be sought for the project, which will feature energy recovery systems and a reflective roof.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $35 million contract in June of 2009 to Protein Sciences Corporation of Meriden, Conn., to pursue advanced development of recombinant influenza vaccine. The technology involves injecting flu virus genes into an insect virus (baculovirus) where it multiplies quickly in the insect cells, which are purified to become a part of a human vaccine.