Core 2: BSL-3 Practices Core

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ABSTRACT – BSL-3 Practices Core (Core 2) The central mission of the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory Network is to provide a location and an environment in which groundbreaking research on potentially dangerous pathogens can be performed safely. As anyone with the responsibility of managing a leading BSL-3/ABSL-3 facility such as the Duke RBL will attest, it is critical to imbue a culture of safety in which all individuals seek continuous improvement and refinement of best practices. This culture of constant improvement must be sustained through the inevitable turnover of staff that occurs in any long-standing facility, and while it is difficult to codify, we pride ourselves on providing a cordial and supportive environment in which ideas for improvement by all members of the team are welcomed. Viewed through this lens, the practices and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that define the Duke RBL are continuously being refined and improved. Since the opening of the facility in 2007, the Duke RBL has led the field with a world class safety team dedicated to providing safe, secure, and compliant research through managing SOPs, conducting a rigorous training program, and assessments of performance. Support from this grant will allow for the further enhancement of these programs through warm-readiness and additional dedicated safety staff. Specific aims for this proposal are to 1) establish and maintain procedures for safe and compliant research at BSL-3/ABSL-3; 2) provide biosafety theory education with hands-on instruction for all personnel entering BSL-3/ABSL-3 for work with Select Agents; and 3) ensure continuous compliance with established procedures by conducting routing biosafety/security audits and drills. The ability to maintain and expand these robust safety programs to account for novel pathogens is critical for investigators to adequately prepare for the next pandemic.