Having seen actual snow falling as I was on my way in to work this morning (yes, in November, and yes, I live in Richmond!), I’m tempted to just link to the VDEM’s “Get Ready Now for Winter Weather” news release. But instead, I’m going to highlight a new Galveston National Laboratory, the University of Texas Medical Branch.
The arrival of Hurricane Ike in mid-September, just after the facility was “substantially” completed, was an early test of the safety of the structure, but there was no damage, and November 11, 2008 saw the official opening ceremony. Coming on the heels of a GAO report on the lack of security in several of the other BSL-4 laboratories, this was an important, if unanticipated, test.
Within this state-of-the-art facility, an extraordinary group of scientists are engaged in efforts to translate research ideas into products aimed at controlling emerging infectious diseases and defending our society against bioterrorism. The GNL has been designed to serve as a national resource, and will complement and enhance UTMB’s decades of prominence in biomedical research – as well as provide a world renowned resource for training researchers in infectious diseases.
As one of two National Biocontainment Laboratories constructed with funding awarded in October 2003 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/National Institutes of Health (NIAID/NIH), the GNL provides much needed research space and specialized research capabilities to develop therapies, vaccines, and diagnostic tests for naturally occurring emerging diseases such as SARS, West Nile encephalitis and avian influenza – as well as for microbes that might be employed by terrorists. Products likely to emerge from research and investigations within the GNL include novel diagnostic assays, improved therapeutics and treatment models, and preventative measures such as vaccines.
Interesting content includes the Video Tour and Timeline (which proves that they are no newcomer to the field), as well as an assortment of links relating to bioterrorism, infectious disease, and other public health issues.