The objectives of this application are to establish a Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) in the United States PHS Region VIII and to make the RBL a regional and national resource in the biodefense of the nation. The RBL will complement and enhance existing programs and infrastructure in Region VIII, and is critical to the success of the proposed Region VIII Regional Center of Excellence (RCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases. The RCE will focus upon zoonotic agents, especially arthropod vector-borne and rodent-borne pathogens, and their potential as bioterrorism threats. The RBL will provide high through put screening of candidate vaccines and therapeutics in an aerosol challenge Animal Model Core Facility and will promote and expedite discovery and translation of research discoveries into usable products using the Proteomics/Genomics and Manufacturing (GMP) Core Facilities. These critical Cores are based upon the exceptional experience, technologies, and facilities developed at CSU for high through put animal model, aerosol challenge screening for therapeutics and vaccines for tuberculosis. The RBL will be co-located with CSU and CDC-DVBID facilities on the CSU Foothills Campus, where the university master plan provides for expansion of the facilities for work with BLS3 level pathogens, and includes security and intrusion control.
The specific aim of this application is to construct a 33,850 gsf RBL that will provide critical research capacity and facilities for Region VIII RCE scientists, other NIH investigators, and other qualified investigators from government, academia, and industry to develop new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for NIH priority pathogens.
