Administrative supplement to Duke G20 award

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Project Summary/Abstract: The Duke Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) was constructed with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support basic research necessary to develop drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines for emerging/reemerging infections and biodefense. The state-of-the-art biocontainment facility, designed to support lab and small animal research, was fully commissioned and opened for operation in 2007 on the Duke University Medical School Campus in Durham, NC. The Duke RBL facility supports grant/contract-funded investigators and also provides biocontainment labs, innovative host monitoring assays and small animal models through Core Service Center Units on a cost recovery basis. Fourteen years of use and time have rendered some of the Duke RBL facilities, systems and critical core research equipment obsolete, or in need of repair, replacement or modernization. Since award of the parent G20 we have identified additional critical deficiencies of the facility’s existing physical infrastructure that limit biosafety, security or threaten the provision of services it offers and research-related activities it supports. We will address these additional deficiencies through this supplement funding in our three original Specific Aims: 1) Modernize Building Control Systems – Replace and upgrade obsolete air compressor and the BACNet (Building Automation Control Network); 2) Modernize Biosafety and Security Systems - Replace aged/damaged PAPR units; and 3) Modernize Research Resources – Replace or add additional major equipment to the Duke RBL Research Service Cores - liquid handling automation equipment, ELISpot reader, next-generation Luminex reader, upgraded cell counter, replacement incubators, freezers and centrifuges, advanced fluorescence microscopy capability in BSL3, additional Allentown Biocontainment mouse caging, and live animal imaging with micro CT capability. These Aims/Goals will be accomplished by the highly integrated project management team assembled in the parent award with solid institutional support and trusted contractors/vendors that were part of the original design and construction of the facility.