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Virginia University to Build New Biological Lab
The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has given a $25 million grant to George Mason University in Virginia for construction of a regional biocontainment laboratory, the university announced yesterday (see GSN, March 8). The grant is the largest research award ever received by the university, according to a press release. The 83,154-square foot Biosafety Level 3 laboratory will be part of George Mason’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases. Personnel at the Prince William County facility will conduct research on development of techniques and products to combat biological terrorism and treat natural infectious disease outbreaks. Researchers will focus on bioterror threats identified by the U.S. government, such as anthrax, tularemia and plague, along with diseases such as SARS, West Nile virus and influenza, the release said. “This award to George Mason not only recognizes its stature as a research center, but it also places the university among the elite institutions in the United States conducting this level of biodefense research,” Sean Connaughton, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said in the press release. The laboratory is expected to cost $42 million. The university will supplement the grant with $15.3 million, and the state has committed $2.5 million, according to the release. Senator John Warner (R-Va.) praised the planned laboratory. “Biodefense remains one of our most critical priorities in national security,” he said in the release. “This facility, which will perform unique and important research to address bioterror threats, continues a long tradition of Virginians contributing to America’s security” (George Mason University release, Sept. 8). The University of Louisville in Kentucky has also been awarded a NIAID grant for bioterrorism and disease studies, the Associated Press reported. The $22 million offering is the largest federal grant ever received by the university. It will be combined with $12.6 million from the university for construction of the 45,000-square-foot building, which will house the Center for Predictive Medicine. The Biosafety Level 3 laboratory will study infectious diseases and bioterrorism pathogens. The university will used specialized ventilation systems to prevent the agent from escaping, and plans to meet with people who live near the campus to discuss concerns, according to AP (Associated Press/Lexington Herald-Leader, Sept. 8).
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