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Principal Investigator: Karen Marie Dobos
Organization: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Fiscal Year: 2023
Award: $2,751,527
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Project Summary: The Rocky Mountain Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RMRBL) at Colorado State
University (CSU) has been responsive to the national RBL mission to: 1) “Conduct research on biodefense and
emerging infectious disease agents”; 2) “Be available and prepared to assist national, state, and local public
health efforts in the event of a bioterrorism or infectious disease emergency” since its opening and full
commissioning in 2008. Researchers at the RMRBL and their collaborators rapidly pivoted in response to the
emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), working on host-derived
therapeutics, vaccines, and identifying other potential zoonotic reservoirs as spillover opportunities in wildlife
and domestic animals. Our researchers similarly pivoted this past year to work on countermeasures in
response to the re-emergence of Mpox, while also continuing to address high consequence pathogens that
have chronically plagued public health systems, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of
Tuberculosis. Beyond our demonstrated ability to rapidly address research and research service needs on
pathogens with pandemic potential, our team contributes to training, outreach, and access of our facility via
sponsored fellowships, visiting scholars’ programs, workshops, conferences, and through collaborations.
Despite these gains, our RMRBL BSL3 suites are aged, requiring constant investments to maintain safe,
secure and compliant BSL3 facilities. RMRBL BSL3 researchers, support staff, and biosafety professionals are
vulnerable to the strain of the work environment, limited resources, funding gaps, and opportunities to engage
in less risky fields equipped with cutting edge technologies. In this application, we respond to the challenges
facing the RMRBL BSL3 laboratories with 3 Cores. Core 1 includes an improved management structure,
systematic replacement of deprecating scientific instruments, and comprehensive and proactive maintenance
of existing facilities needs to ensure compliance and continuous functioning. Operation of the RMRBL BSL3 is
additionally enhanced to improve the working environment and increase consistency for operations research
support and animal husbandry staff. Core 2’s initiatives seek to develop training programs responsive to adult
learning and education best practices, ensuring improved safety and safety compliance in persons working in
the BSL3. Biosecurity upgrades will improve the safety and security climate in anticipation of new national
standards, and integration between research teams and the office of Biosafety in constructing and training in
technical standard operating procedures will accelerate safe performance and technical competence. Finally,
Core 3 synthesizes our research strengths to develop a uniquely qualified Biocontainment Research
Resources Core, bringing together opportunities to exploit team talent and perform innovative research.
Combined, our three Cores ensure that the RMRBL BSL3 facilities are always ‘warm ready’ – to face and
combat the next pathogenic pandemic threat.
Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><21+ years old><Acceleration><Address><Adult><Adult Human><American><Animal Husbandries><Animal Husbandry><BSL-3 facility><BSL3 facility><Biocompatible Materials><Biological Terrorism><Biomaterials><Bioterrorism><COVID><COVID-19><COVID-19 virus><COVID19><COVID19 virus><CV-19><CV19><Cell Body><Cells><Chronic><Climate><Clinical Treatment Moab><CoV disease><CoV-2><CoV2><Collaborations><Colorado><Communicable Diseases><Communication><Competence><Dedications><Development><Diagnostic><Disease><Disorder><Domestic Animals><Education><Education and Training><Educational aspects><Educational process of instructing><Educational workshop><Emergencies><Emergency Situation><Emerging Communicable Diseases><Emerging Infectious Diseases><Ensure><Environment><Equipment><Event><Evolution><Face><Fellowship><Foundations><Funding><Goals><Grant><Health system><In Vitro><Infection><Infectious Agent><Infectious Disease Pathway><Infectious Diseases><Infectious Disorder><Information Technology><Infrastructure><Investigators><Investments><Laboratories><Lead><Learning><M tb><M tuberculosis><M tuberculosis infection><M. tb><M. tb infection><M. tuberculosis><M. tuberculosis infection><M.tb infection><M.tuberculosis infection><MTB infection><Maintenance><Meteorological Climate><Mission><Modeling><Modernization><Monkey Pox><Monkeypox><Monoclonal Antibodies><Mycobacterium tuberculosis><Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection><Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection><NIAID><National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease><Operations Research><Pathogenicity><Pb element><Performance><Persons><Procedures><Public Health><Qualifying><Reagent><Research><Research Personnel><Research Resources><Research Support><Researchers><Resource Development><Resources><Rodent><Rodentia><Rodents Mammals><SARS corona virus 2><SARS-CO-V2><SARS-COVID-2><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV2><SARS-associated corona virus 2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-related corona virus 2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><SARSCoV2><Safety><Scholars Program><Secure><Security><Services><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Corona Virus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><Sight><Structure><System><TB infection><Talents><Teaching><Technology><Therapeutic><Toxin><Training><Training Programs><Training and Education><Translating><Tuberculosis><Universities><Vaccines><Vision><Work><Workforce Development><Workshop><Wuhan coronavirus><Zoonoses><Zoonotic><Zoonotic Infection><adulthood><aged><base><bases><biodefense><biological material><biosafety level 3 facility><biosecurity><climatic><combat><conference><convention><corona virus disease><corona virus disease 2019><coronavirus disease><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><coronavirus disease-19><coronavirus disease-19 virus><coronavirus infectious disease-19><design><designing><develop a vaccine><develop vaccines><development of a vaccine><developmental><disseminated TB><disseminated tuberculosis><domesticated animal><faces><facial><hCoV19><heavy metal Pb><heavy metal lead><imaging mass spectrometry><improved><in vivo><industrial partnership><industry partner><industry partnership><infection due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis><infectious organism><innovate><innovation><innovative><instrument><job environment><laboratory facility><mAbs><mass spectrometric imaging><molecular mass><monoclonal Abs><mpox><mtb><nCoV2><operation><operations><outreach><pandemic><pandemic concern><pandemic disease><pandemic pathogen><pandemic potential><pandemic risk><pandemic threat><pathogen><professional atmosphere><programs><recruit><research facility><response><spillover event><success><summit><symposia><symposium><tuberculosis infection><tuberculous spondyloarthropathy><usability><vaccine development><visiting scholar><visual function><work atmosphere><work environment><workplace climate><workplace environment>