Document text
Principal Investigator: Hardy Kornfeld
Organization: UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $7,857,615
Funding agency: NIH Office of the Director
Program Summary/Abstract
The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) seeks NIH C06 funding to renovate
existing space in the medical school (S) building to construct an in vitro Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory for
viral pathogens. As an internationally recognized leader in infectious disease research, UMass Chan has made
pivotal contributions to this field, with a strong focus on hazardous pathogens, including both viral and bacterial
pathogens. During the COVID-19 pandemic, UMass Chan quickly became one of the leading institutes for
research on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Our researchers obtained
numerous awards from the NIH, other governmental agencies, and private foundations for these studies. Since
then, our researchers have also obtained funding for collaborative research programs to study other BSL-3-level
viruses of pandemic potential, such as viruses that cause viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) and alphaviruses.
C06 funding is critical to continue these important studies. Our BSL-3 Core Laboratories have been strained by
the increased usage due to the pandemic and the addition of other BSL-3 viral pathogens, such as VHF. To
accommodate this increase, we have used the satellite BSL-3 lab in the Biotech Two building, which will be lost
when UMass Chan repurposes this building in 2026. The remaining S7 BSL-3 lab is already operating at capacity
for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Yersinia pestis studies and cannot adequately accommodate the
researchers studying Risk Group 3 viruses. To proactively address this issue, we seek NIH C06 funding to
convert existing space on the 7th floor of the S-building into a second in vitro BSL-3 lab dedicated to research on
viral pathogens. The proposed new facility addresses increasing demands on our BSL-3 resources by UMass
Chan faculty and other regional investigators. There is strong institutional support for this project and a
commitment to fully equip the new lab, including the purchase of advanced imaging equipment currently
unavailable in BSL-3. The proposed facility will enhance the safety and resilience of the BSL-3 research core,
and maintain the productivity of funded and future research on Risk Group 3 viruses.
Our medical school is uniquely positioned to bridge clinical and basic research studies. As a leading site for
clinical trials, our researchers have access to patient samples to enhance in vitro and in vivo studies. Our findings
can be translated to develop novel prevention and therapeutic strategies leveraging our world-renowned RNA
Therapeutics Institute and Institute for Drug Resistance, as well as our partnership with MassBiologics for
vaccine and biologic therapy development, making UMass Chan a powerhouse for bench-to-bedside
translational research. Robust BSL-3 labs are needed to maintain this excellence and address current and
emerging pathogens with pandemic potential.
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