FAIRFAX, Va.– The planning and design of the George Mason University Biomedical Research Lab (BRL) is progressing smoothly and construction should begin in early 2008. The BRL will contain Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories where Mason researchers will develop and test the next generation of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics to protect citizens against biological terrorism and infectious diseases. Research will focus on newly emerging diseases such as SARS, Avian Influenza and West Nile, and biological threat agents such as Anthrax, Plague and Tularemia.

The new BRL will be one of 13 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories to be built nationwide with funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). To construct the laboratory, Mason was awarded a $25 million NIH grant in 2005. The university is providing an estimated $15.3 million in matching funds. Under then-Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner, the commonwealth committed $2.5 million for land acquisition.

“The work Mason researchers will be conducting in the BRL is important not just to our region, but to the country as a whole,” said Charles Bailey, executive director of Mason’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases (NCBID). “As long as the United States is threatened by terrorists who might use infectious agents against our population, there will be a need to develop medical countermeasures such as vaccines and therapeutics to prevent and treat these infectious, highly lethal diseases.”

Hillier Architecture is the design architect for the 52,000 square foot structure to be built adjacent to Mason’s Prince William Campus in Manassas, Virginia. Facilities Dynamics Engineering has been selected as the commissioning agent to verify the features and specifications of the building. The facility will be administered by the NCBID.

The BRL design is in accordance with NIH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) design guidelines and requirements. To insure safety, the building will have multiple layers of containment —a “box within a box” design— and will have redundancy in electrical, mechanical and other functional systems. All work with BSL-3 agents will be performed in primary containment devices called biosafety cabinets. All biosafety cabinets will be located within laboratory modules that also provide BSL-3 protection and will be completely contained within the facility. Biological agents will be used at the minimum concentration and quantity required for the work to be performed, and will be handled with strict adherence to safety and security procedures. All materials will be decontaminated according to industry standards and the effectiveness of decontamination procedures will be verified to ensure no harmful materials are released from the facility. Exhaust air leaving the BSL-3 laboratories will pass through multiple HEPA filters to prevent the release of biological agents and other particulates into the atmosphere.

A modular research laboratory is in the process of being commissioned exclusively with university funds to allow research to begin prior to the BRL completion in the summer of 2009. This 1,000 square foot modular laboratory will eventually become part of the permanent BRL. The facility will be located adjacent to Discovery Hall and will allow the Mason research team to begin the process of getting government approval for testing and evaluating biological agents, allowing a seamless transition to the BRL as soon as construction is complete and the building is commissioned.

The modular facility, which should be completed in early 2008, is being designed in compliance with the regulatory and accreditation requirements of the CDC, USDA, NIH and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International.

The BRL and modular facility will be constructed with the safety and security of the surrounding community as the highest priority. BSL-3 laboratories are explicitly designed to protect the research scientists, the public and the environment from the biological agents used in research.

About the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases

The NCBID was founded in 2001 to address the challenges to national and international security posed by the threat of biological terrorism. The scope of the center has evolved to include the study of infectious diseases that are emerging from populations around the world. NCBID scientists explore innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases caused by biological agents, as well as the development of unique environmental detection methods for these agents.

About George Mason University

George Mason University, located in the heart of Northern Virginia’s technology corridor near Washington, D.C., is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. With strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering, information technology, biotechnology and health care, Mason prepares its students to succeed in the work force and meet the needs of the region and the world. Mason professors conduct groundbreaking research in areas such as cancer, climate change, information technology and the biosciences, and Mason’s Center for the Arts brings world-renowned artists, musicians and actors to its stage. Its School of Law is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 50 law schools in the United States.