Upgrading infectious disease research facilities at University of Louisville RBL

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PROJECT SUMMARY The University of Louisville Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) is an operational unit of the University’s Center for Predictive Medicine for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (CPM). The CPM operates the only Biosafety Level 3 laboratories and animal research facilities available to researchers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We request support from NIAID through this proposal for additional facility related upgrades and modernization of research equipment. In this administrative supplement we are not proposing any new specific aims. First, we shall repair, renovate and modernize specific RBL building systems to enhance functions of the research facilities. In this administrative supplement we shall replace the end of life Continuum building access controls system with a Lenel system that meets our layered security access controls requirements. The building chillers, necessary for maintaining appropriately conditioned air to the laboratories and vivaria will have critical components that are near end of life replaced. The building air compressors are critical to the facility’s HVAC controls systems, and must be replaced. Secondly, we propose to enhance and modernize the CPM in vivo research facilities. In this administrative supplement we shall achieve our second aim by augmenting our in vivo research capabilities with new CT/PET imaging equipment that will allow fine granularity of data acquisition, improving our understanding of infectious disease, and assisting in discovery of vaccines and therapeutics against biothreats and emerging infectious diseases. This equipment achieves major goals of humane in vivo research: more comprehensive and detailed information about the infectious disease model and effect of therapy, closely linked with reduction in the number of research subjects necessary for comprehensive assessment of the treatment efficacy. The facility and equipment upgrades will modernize our research infrastructure, enhancing the CPM RBL capabilities to rapidly develop and assist in deployment of countermeasures to mitigate the effects of biothreats and emerging infectious diseases.