Idaho Technology celebrated the opening of its new $8.5 million R&D facility in Salt Lake City in April of 2009. Located in the University of Utah Research Park, the 41,000-sf project houses laboratories for the development of infectious disease and biological warfare testing solutions. Clinical trials will begin in mid-2009 on the technology, which will be released as kits for the detection of viruses, bacteria, and select agents in 2010.
Tufts University dedicated the $33.7 million New England Regional Biosafety Laboratory on March 30, 2009. Sited on 5.4 acres in North Grafton, Mass., the 41,000-sf project provides 649-sf of BSL-2 space and 8,480-sf of BSL-3 space for zoonotic disease research. The secure facility was designed by Flad Architects and includes laboratories, a vivarium, an insectary, and support space. Construction began on the laboratory in September of 2007.
Washington State University’s Board of Regents approved the schematic design for the $35 million School for Global Animal Health in Pullman, Wash., in late March of 2009. The 47,000-sf facility will be sited adjacent to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and will accommodate 12 to 15 scientists. Housing research laboratories for the study of zoonotic diseases, emerging pathogen detection, and vaccine development, the facility is funded in part by a $25 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Fraunhofer USA has selected Nason Construction as the construction manager for a bird flu vaccine plant in Wilmington, Del. Located in Delaware Technology Park, the 14,000-sf GMP facility will support research and manufacturing of plant-based avian influenza vaccine. The project is supported by funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Completion is expected in fall of 2009.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is partnering with the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, to construct a $20 million HIV and tuberculosis research facility. Integrated with the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute at Nelson Mandela Medical School, the six-story facility will include two floors of high level biocontainment laboratories.
The Department of Homeland Security issued its Request for Proposals (RFP) for preliminary construction bids on the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in March of 2009. The Department will hold a Pre-proposal Conference for general contractors at 9 a.m. on April 7 in the student union auditorium at Kansas State University. The first construction phase of the NBAF, the nation’s leading plant and animal health laboratory, is estimated at $523 million. The total project investment will be $650 million.
The Canadian parliament is considering legislation that would regulate registration of select agents and promote safety and security. Bill C-11, the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act, would require individuals to obtain clearances for select agent access, with disease agents categorized by threat level. The legislation would also establish handling procedures for each level. For more information, view Bill C-11.
The National Institutes of Health will seek input on the attributes of the Personnel Reliability Program on April 3, 2009. The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) will be making a set of recommendations regarding personnel reliability programs for individuals who would work with select agents. A portion of their recommendations will address the measures that institutions should undertake to assess whether individuals are trustworthy and reliable to work with these agents.
Two select agent and biosafety bills were proposed in Congress in February of 2009. In the Senate, the Select Agent Program and Biosafety Improvement Act of 2009 would monitor federal oversight of biocontainment laboratories, improve training, and create a system for accident reporting. The act would also provide funding for the U.S. Select Agent Program.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have initiated construction on a $14 million laboratory project in Fort Collins, Colo. Located in shell space on the fourth floor of the CDC’s existing facility, the facility will house moderate to high level biocontainment labs, offices, and support. The project team includes general contractor JE Dunn Construction Company and design-build partner Smith Carter Architects and Engineers. Completion is expected in January of 2010.
The University of Oxford opened the £5 million Jenner Institute Laboratories in February of 2009 in the United Kingdom. The facility features laboratories for vaccine research and development for diseases including malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and bird flu. The Jenner Institute is a partnership between Oxford University and the Institute for Animal Health (IAH). The facility integrates basic science research in immunology and genetics with clinical vaccine development and commercialization.
The Mississippi State Department of Health officially broke ground on its $25 million Public Health Laboratory in Jackson in February of 2009. The 60,000-sf facility is slated for completion in September of 2010 and will house laboratories for the identification and detection of infectious diseases, environmental contaminants, and biological terrorism agents.
The United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) temporarily suspended research at its Fort Detrick laboratory in early 2009 to perform a select agent inventory assessment. The inventory review will involve locating every sample listed in the laboratory’s database. Animal care and crucial animal research will continue at the facility during the inventory process.
Pennsylvania State University is planning to construct a BSL-3 laboratory on its University Park campus. The 15,000-sf facility will support biodefense, agricultural, and zoonotic research, enabling the university to compete for federal funding supporting select agent and infectious disease research. Penn State operates an existing BSL-2 research laboratory.
The Allegheny County Health Department will open a $5.6 million biocontainment laboratory in Lawrenceville, Pa., in February of 2009. Part of the CDC’s Laboratory Response Network, the BSL-3 facility will support testing of specimens and samples that may contain infectious diseases or potential bioterrorism agents such as anthrax. The two-story laboratory is part of the Clack Health Center.
