Document text
Principal Investigator: George Parsons Langan
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $2,464,978
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
PROJECT ABSTRACT (OVERALL)
Our nation’s ability to detect, prevent and counter bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases depends on
technologies that are generated through biomedical research on disease-causing microbes and understanding
human immune responses to infection. Following bioterrorism events in 2001, the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases established the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) Network, to promote safe
research in 12 Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) laboratories. In turn, Institutions and Universities hosting these RBLs
sustained the management of these facilities, fostered a strong Biosafety culture, and fueled research inquiries
into the molecular mechanisms whereby microbes cause human disease. The University of Chicago hosts the
Regional Biocontainment Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory (HTRL) operated by its Department of
Microbiology since 2009. When this nation began to implement shutdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19,
essential professionals at the HTRL continued key management operations and pivoted their expertise to study
SARS-CoV2. This momentum would not have been possible without the existing expertise and dedication of
engineers, biosafety officers, veterinary staff, scientists, as well as financial support from the University. The
goal of this proposal is to present a plan to maintain the safe operation and management of the BSL3 space of
the Regional Biocontainment HTRL and to continue training professionals who will provide research support
services for the development of measures necessary to mitigate and protect the public's health from infectious
diseases that may be the result of intentional, accidental, or naturally occurring health emergency. This plan
will be implemented by three cores. Core 1 Facility Management, Maintenance and Operations
(C1Facilities@HTRL) led by George Langan, describes activities that support continuous BSL3 containment
through decontamination, retesting, certification, preventive maintenance, repair or replacement of building
systems and compliance with Biosecurity, Environmental Health, and Biosafety regulations. Core 2 BSL3
Practices (C2BSL3Practice@HTRL) led by Joseph Kanabrocki, describes activities for the training of
personnel and the development of Standard Operating Procedures as well as activities to sustain a safe and
secure environment. Core 3 Biocontainment Research Support Services (C3ResearchSupport@HTRL)
led by Dominique Missiakas, describes research capabilities for the study of Risk Group 3 and Select Agent
pathogens. HTRL will use a web-based portal to advertise and offer research services such as isolation and
characterization of pathogens, virulence and countermeasure studies using in vitro and in vivo assays and
animal models. Monthly virtual and annual in-person meetings between RBL Directors will identify
opportunities for collaborations, improvements, and cross-training. These interactions will expand the capacity
of the RBL network as a whole to respond to public health emergencies, conduct evaluations of threats and
countermeasures, and provide education and training to conform with biosafety standards.
Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><Accidents><Air><Animal Model><Animal Models and Related Studies><Antibiotic Agents><Antibiotic Drugs><Antibiotic Therapy><Antibiotic Treatment><Antibiotics><Articulation><Assay><Aves><Avian><Awareness><BSL-3 facility><BSL3 facility><Bacteria><Bacterial Infections><Bioassay><Biological><Biological Assay><Biological Terrorism><Biomedical Research><Bioterror><Bioterrorism><Birds><C diff><C difficile><C. diff><C. difficile><COVID crisis><COVID epidemic><COVID pandemic><COVID-19><COVID-19 crisis><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 era><COVID-19 global health crisis><COVID-19 global pandemic><COVID-19 health crisis><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID-19 period><COVID-19 public health crisis><COVID-19 virus><COVID-19 years><COVID19 virus><CV-19><Certification><Chicago><Classification><Clostridioides difficile><Clostridium difficile><CoV-2><CoV2><Collaborations><Communicable Diseases><Communities><Containment><Coronaviridae><Coronavirus><Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019><Country><Decontamination><Dedications><Dengue><Development><Disease><Disorder><Doctor of Philosophy><Drugs><EBOV><Ebola virus><Ebola-like Viruses><Economics><Education and Training><Emergencies><Emergency Situation><Emerging Communicable Diseases><Emerging Infectious Diseases><Engineering><Environment><Environmental Health><Environmental Health Science><Epidemic><Equilibrium><Evaluation><Event><Farm Animal><Financial Support><Fostering><Frequencies><Funding Opportunities><Genetic Alteration><Genetic Change><Genetic defect><Genome><Goals><Grippe><Health><Human><Human Resources><Immune response><Immunity><Immunological response><In Vitro><Infection><Infectious Agent><Infectious Disease Pathway><Infectious Diseases><Infectious Diseases / Laboratory><Infectious Diseases Research><Infectious Disorder><Infectious disease threat><Influenza><Institution><Investigation><Knowledge><Laboratories><Laboratory Personnel><Leadership><Livestock><MERS corona virus><MERS coronavirus><MERS virus><MERS-CoV><MRSA><Maintenance><Mammalia><Mammals><Manpower><Measures><Medical><Medication><Methicillin Resistant S. Aureus><Microbe><Microbiology><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-CoV><Middle East Respiratory Virus><Middle East Respiratory coronavirus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome-CoV><Miscellaneous Antibiotic><Modeling><Modern Man><Molecular><Morbidity><Morbidity - disease rate><Mutation><NIAID><National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease><Operations Research><Panic><Pathogenicity><Persons><Ph.D.><PhD><Pharmaceutical Preparations><Population><Preventative intervention><Preventive><Procedures><Protective Devices><Protocol><Protocols documentation><Public Health><RNA Viruses><Regulation><Research><Research Activity><Research Resources><Research Support><Resources><Risk><Role><SARS Virus><SARS corona virus><SARS corona virus 2><SARS coronavirus><SARS-Associated Coronavirus><SARS-CO-V2><SARS-COVID-2><SARS-CoV><SARS-CoV-1><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV-2 epidemic><SARS-CoV-2 global health crisis><SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 pandemic><SARS-CoV2><SARS-Related Coronavirus><SARS-associated corona virus 2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-coronavirus-2 epidemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic><SARS-related corona virus 2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><SARSCoV2><Safety><Scientist><Secure><Services><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus><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 CoV 2 epidemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 pandemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome corona virus><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus><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 coronavirus 2 epidemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><Societies><Structure><System><Systematics><Technology><Testing><Therapeutic Intervention><Toxin><Training><Training Activity><Training and Education><Training and Infrastructure><Transmission><Universities><Vaccines><Variant><Variation><Viral><Virulence><Virus><Wuhan coronavirus><ZIKA><Zoonoses><Zoonotic><Zoonotic Infection><antibiotic resistant pathogen><bacteria infection><bacterial disease><bacterial disease treatment><bacterial infectious disease treatment><balance><balance function><biocontainment facility><biocontainment lab><biocontainment laboratory><biodefense><biologic><biosafety level 3 facility><biosecurity><chikungunya><combat><companion animal><companion cat><companion dog><companion pet><corona virus><coronavirus disease 2019><coronavirus disease 2019 crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic><coronavirus disease 2019 global health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 global pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 public health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><coronavirus disease crisis><coronavirus disease epidemic><coronavirus disease pandemic><coronavirus disease-19><coronavirus disease-19 global pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 virus><coronavirus infectious disease-19><cost><developmental><drug resistant pathogen><drug/agent><economic><financial assistance><genome mutation><hCoV19><hazard><host response><human disease><immune system response><immunoresponse><improved><in vivo><infectious organism><insight><internet portal><intervention for prevention><intervention therapy><medical countermeasure><meeting><meetings><methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus><methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus><methicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus><microbe pathogen><microbial><microbial pathogen><model of animal><nCoV2><on-line portal><online portal><operation><operations><pathogen><pathogenic microbe><personnel><prevent><preventing><prevention intervention><preventional intervention strategy><preventive intervention><professor><public health emergency><repair><repaired><response><safety equipment><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global health crisis><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global pandemic><severe acute respiratory syndrome-CoV><social role><training module><transmission process><viral disease outbreak><viral outbreak><virtual><virus disease outbreak><web portal><web-based portal>