FSML: Building a biosafety level II pathogen laboratory at Horn Point Laboratory

马里兰大学角点实验室获得了一笔赠款，用于翻新马里兰大学环境科学中心角点实验室(HPL)一座安全的化学品存储大楼中的几个房间，以创建一个生物安全II级实验室，用于涉及有害藻类物种和一系列人类和动物病原体的研究。之所以选择这个地点，是因为它是一座安全的建筑，有别于校园内的其他实验室以及牡蛎和鳍鱼水产养殖设施。后者特别重要，因为孵化场受到有害藻类或病原体的污染可能会影响它们的运作。因此，总体目的是为Horn Point研究人员提供安全的设施，以便继续研究病原体和有害藻类，而不会有意外感染水产养殖设施或校园内其他实验室和个人的风险。关于环境病原体的生态、分布和持久性，有很多需要了解的东西。HPL的科学家目前正在切萨皮克湾地区可能与人类接触的选定地点研究这些微生物，以描述这些病原体的分布，确定细菌抗菌素耐药性的流行情况，确定向人类传播的可能途径，并量化人类接触和感染的程度。一个新的、安全的生物安全二级实验室将允许HPL的科学家(1)分离和培养病原体分离物用于基因组分析，(2)对病原体分离物进行抗菌药敏感性测试，以及(3)从海水样本中浓缩和检测致病病毒。HPL的科学家还在积极研究有害藻华物种的生态生理学的许多方面。将这些生物保存在一个安全的生物安全II级实验室将使HPL的科学家能够扩大这些项目，并在隔离的环境中与其他潜在的有毒生物合作。更广泛的影响：HPL的新病原体实验室将为更广泛的切萨皮克湾地区提供服务。特别是，这种设施所允许的扩大研究将向生态系统和渔业管理者提供宝贵的信息。HPL致力于所有级别的教育，并有一个强大的外展计划。虽然病原体设施本身不会向公众展示(因为明显的原因)，但它所促进的研究肯定会在外展传播中占据突出地位。国际和平研究所计划利用新的实验室实施水生病原体冬季研究生课程。毫无疑问，学生们将在课程作业或论文研究中使用该设备。当然，这样的使用需要严格遵守安全协议。

The University of Maryland Horn Point Laboratory is awarded a grant to renovate several rooms in a secure chemical storage building at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) to create a Biosafety Level II Laboratory for research involving harmful algal species and a range of human and animal pathogens. This site was selected because it is a secure building set apart from the other laboratories and the oyster and finfish aquaculture facilities of the campus. The latter is particularly important because contamination of the hatcheries with harmful algal species or pathogens could compromise their operations. Thus, the overall purpose is to provide Horn Point researchers with a secure facility for continued research on pathogens and harmful algae without risk of accidental infection of the aquaculture facility or other laboratories and individuals on campus. There is much to be learned about the ecology, distribution and persistence of environmental pathogens. HPL scientists are currently studying these organisms in select locations of the Chesapeake Bay region where human contact is likely, in order to describe the distribution of these pathogens, determine the prevalence of bacterial antimicrobial resistance, identify the likely routes of transmission to humans, and quantify the magnitude of human exposure and infection. A new, secure Biosafety Level II Laboratory will allow HPL scientists to (1) isolate and grow pathogen isolates for genomic analysis, (2) perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing on pathogenic isolates, and (3) concentrate and detect pathogenic viruses from seawater samples. HPL scientists are also actively studying many aspects of the ecophysiology of harmful algal bloom species. Keeping these organisms in a secure Biosafety Level II Laboratory will allow HPL scientists to expand these projects, and work with additional potentially toxic organisms in an isolated environment. Broader Impacts: The new pathogen laboratory at HPL will provide a service to the wider Chesapeake Bay region. In particular the expanded research allowed with such a facility will provide valuable information to ecosystem and fisheries managers. The HPL is committed to education at all levels and it has a strong outreach program. While the pathogen facility itself will not be shown to the public (for obvious reasons), the research it fosters certainly will be featured prominently in outreach communications. The PI's plan to use the new laboratory to implement a winter graduate course in aquatic pathogens. No doubt students will use the facility either in course work, or in their thesis research. Of course such uses demand stringent adherence to safety protocols.