The Biosafety Level-3 (BL-3) Core Facility is designed to provide an efficient, cost-effective, and safe environment for CFAR and other investigators involved in AIDS and AIDS-related research such that both ongoing projects will benefit and new collaborations will be fostered. Since culture of biohazardous pathogens including HIV, SIV, HTLV-I and virulent M. tuberculosis is an absolute requirement for many CFAR investigators, this facility is essential. The new BL-3 Facility (1127 sq ft) is scheduled for completion in October 1993, and is located on the 10th floor of the Biomedical Research Building, in the Division of Infectious Disease. The Facility has recently been equipped to the greater extent by the CWRU School of Medicine. Equipment includes 5 laminar flow hoods, centrifuges, incubators, -70C freezers, microscopes, thermal cycler and ELISA reader. The Facility is comprised of 6 rooms, the 3 largest for biohazardous activities. One room will be devoted to research involving virulent M. tuberculosis and another to HIV, SIV, and HTLV-I. Other rooms house common equipment. The BL-3 Core Facility will be administered by a BL-3 Advisory Group comprised of members of the CFAR; Dr. Rich (Director of the BL-3 Core Facility), Dr. LeGrice, and De. Lederman. Dr. Rich's laboratory is adjacent to the BL-3 Facility. Projects performed in the BL-3 Facility will be established beginning in funding year 02 to cover costs of the Facility such that by year 05, 70% of these will be generated by such fees. Multidisciplinary collaboration will be fostered by the BL-3 Core Facility by three main mechanisms: 1) Through interactions among users of the facility; 2) Through services rendered by a full-time research assistant in the facility including viral stock preparation, HIV infections of cells, p24 ELISAs, and teaching of these techniques to new investigators. 3) Quarterly meetings by all users and interested faculty discussing results obtained from experiments performed in the facility.
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