BSL3 Enhancements for RNA Virus Pandemic Preparedness

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Program Summary/Abstract The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) seeks NIH G20 funding to repair, renovate, and modernize the existing Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) and Animal BSL3 (ABSL3) facilities to enhance current research on RNA viruses of pandemic potential. As an internationally recognized leader in infectious disease research, UMass Chan has made pivotal contributions to this field, including work on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, Newcastle disease virus, and Zika virus. At the start of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we quickly became one of the leading institutes for research and clinical trials on SARS-CoV-2. Our researchers obtained several awards from the NIH, NSF, and Department of Defense, as well as private foundations for these studies. As a leading site for COVID-19 clinical trials, UMass Chan is uniquely poised to bridge clinical and basic research studies on these RNA viruses by enabling essential research on patient samples to complement in vitro and in vivo studies. Our findings can be translated to develop novel prevention and therapeutic strategies leveraging our world-renowned RNA Therapeutics Institute, our Institute for Drug Resistance, and our partnership with MassBiologics for vaccine development, making UMass Chan a powerhouse for bench-to-bedside translational research. The UMass Chan BSL3 Core Laboratories have seen a staggering increase in usage due to the pandemic. Our BSL3 and ABSL3 facilities need major updates and renovations to keep pace with our research programs and continue to provide a safe, modern, and efficient lab for BSL3 work. The last time these facilities were completely renovated was over a decade ago (2003–2005 for our ABLS3 and 2010–2014 for our BSL3). We will modernize the existing BSL3 and ABSL3 facilities by updating the ceiling and ventilation systems, installing new autoclaves, maximizing the existing footprint by removing outdated equipment, and updating cameras for safety. These updates will significantly enhance research on RNA viruses of pandemic potential by addressing deficiencies that have caused prolonged downtime for repairs, and by enhancing the resilience of critical building systems. Our UMass Chan Facilities and Campus Services team has extensive experience executing design, renovations, and oversight of the operations and have worked with the NIH on previous G20 and C06- funded improvements to our facilities. The G20 funding will also be backed by strong institutional support for this project and a commitment to fully equip the updated space with state-of-the-art scientific instruments and other equipment needed to maintain the productivity of currently funded and future research on SARS-CoV-2 and other BSL3-level RNA viral pathogens. With G20 funding, our BSL3 and ABSL3 labs can get much- needed updates to support our faculty as they continue to make ground-breaking fundamental discoveries with translational potential to address SARS-CoV-2 and other RNA viruses of pandemic potential.