BIOSAFETY LEVEL 2AND 3 LABS

Renovation of Laboratory Space


Location: Medical Research Building fifth floor and Old Medical School fifth floor

Project Completion: 2002

Project Cost: $2 million

Project Description:

The renovations included construction of a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) facility, conversion of existing non-laboratory support space to BSL-2 laboratories and renovating and upgrading the existing outmoded laboratories to BSL-2 level.  Construction of the BSL-3 facility made possible a major planned expansion of research on HIV-I, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and other pathogens.

The provision of BSL-2 laboratories expanded and enhanced the Department's ability to conduct research on infectious agents and pathogenic human specimens requiring level 2 containment.  The Department of Microbiology and Immunology obtained a matching grant of $1 million from the National Institute of Health.