Biosafety Level 3 Biocontainment Facility

One of the service cores of the Comparative Medicine Institute and College of Veterinary Medicine is the BSL3 Biocontainment Facility located in the Biomedical Centennial Campus Research Building. A Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) biocontainment facility is, as defined by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “a specially designated laboratory employing safety equipment, and strictly enforced procedures to utilize agents requiring containment of airborne bacteria, viruses, or toxins.”

The NCSU BSL3 Biocontainment Facility is a restricted airflow laboratory with three workspaces built around biosafety cabinets (BSC). There are three BSC, one Class II B2 and two Class II A2s. Access to the antechamber and lab facility is strictly limited and monitored by swipe card and sign in procedure that is reconciled on a monthly basis by the Facility Manager.

Opened in 2005, the original manager, Barbara Hegarty worked diligently in designing and outfitting the laboratory and making sure that it met all of the requirements and restrictions for certification. Ms. Hegarty was instrumental in writing the BSL3 Biosafety Manual and all of the current protocols. Management of the BSL3 facility has transitioned to Henry Marr as of 2017 and is still under the direction of Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt.

Many faculty have utilized this facility over the years, as well as some outside agencies such as RTI. It is open to all CMI members, NC State faculty as well as outside agencies on a “for fee” basis after approval from the NCSU Institutional Biosafety Committee and specialized training for use of the facility, as well and as completion of all required paperwork. Although, labeled a BSL3 laboratory, a number of investigators have chosen to utilize it for their novel BSL2 studies for an additional layer of security. Scheduling or reserving space in the labs is done by means of calendar.

If you are interested in the use of the facility, please contact:

Ed Breitschwerdt
Ed_Breitschwerdt@ncsu.edu
919.513.8277

Henry Marr
hsmarr@ncsu.edu
919.513.0778