Document text
Principal Investigator: Farhang Alem
Organization: GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Fiscal Year: 2021
Award: $3,330,000
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Project Summary/Abstract
In 2002, the NIAID convened a Panel on Bioterrorism and its implications for Biomedical Research to determine
key priorities and short- and long-term goals for biodefense research in the United States. In response to the
panel’s recommendations, the NIAID provided funding for the construction of two National Biocontainment
Laboratories and 12 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories (RBLs). These installations have been an important
resource for the nation as facilities where cutting edge scientific research on emerging infectious diseases and
biodefense pathogens can be safely carried out.
The Biological Research Laboratory (BRL) at George Mason University (GMU) is one of the 12 RBLs, and went
into operation in July of 2010. In the decade since it opened its doors, GMU investigators have used the BRL to
study select agents, such as Francisella tularensis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Yesrinia pestis, Bacillus
anthracis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus and SARS-CoV-2, as well as
other pathogens, including, HIV and HTLV-1.
To continue building on the success of the BRL, we are looking to upgrade aspects of the building’s infrastructure,
in addition to purchasing new caging and state-of-the-art equipment that can serve the needs of the scientific
community focused on infectious disease research and fighting the next pandemic.
The Specific Aims of the proposal are as follows: 1) Purchase of animal caging to expand the BRL’s ability to
house various species, from rodents to non-human primates; 2) Replacement of the tissue digester; 3) Purchase
of imaging equipment, including the Fuji Vevo and Mediso PET-CT; 4) Installation of an automated watering
system for the animal holding rooms; 5) Replacement of hot water heaters.
Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><AIDS Virus><Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus><Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus><Adult T-Cell Leukemia-Lymphoma Virus I><Animals><B anthracis><B pseudomallei><B. anthracis><B. pseudomallei><Bacillus anthracis><Biological Terrorism><Biomedical Research><Bioterrorism><Burkholderia pseudomallei><COVID-19 virus><COVID19 virus><CoV-2><CoV2><Communities><EEE Virus><Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus><Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus><Emerging Communicable Diseases><Emerging Infectious Diseases><Equipment><F tularensis><F. tularensis><Francisella tularensis><Funding><Goals><HIV><HTLV-1><HTLV-I><HTLV1><Human Immunodeficiency Viruses><Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus I><Human T-lymphotropic virus 1><Hydrogen Oxide><Image><Infectious Diseases / Laboratory><Infectious Diseases Research><Infrastructure><Investigators><LAV-HTLV-III><Laboratories><Laboratory Research><Lymphadenopathy-Associated Virus><NIAID><National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease><P pseudomallei><P. pseudomallei><PET><PET Scan><PET imaging><PETSCAN><PETT><Pasteurella tularensis><Positron Emission Tomography Medical Imaging><Positron Emission Tomography Scan><Positron-Emission Tomography><Pseudomonas pseudomallei><Rad.-PET><Recommendation><Research><Research Personnel><Research Resources><Researchers><Resources><Rodent><Rodentia><Rodents Mammals><SARS corona virus 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><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 corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><System><Type I Human T-Lymphotropic Virus><United States><Universities><VEE virus><VEEV><Venezuelan Equine Encephalitic Virus><Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus><Venezuelan Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus><Virus-HIV><Virus-HTLV-I><Water><Wuhan coronavirus><anthracis><biodefense><biological research><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><fighting><hCoV19><human T cell lymphoma virus I><human T cell lymphoma virus type I><human T cell lymphotropic virus 1><human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1><human T lymphotropic virus I><human T-cell leukemia virus type 1><imaging><nCoV2><non-human primate><nonhuman primate><operation><pandemic><pandemic disease><pathogen><positron emission tomographic (PET) imaging><positron emission tomographic imaging><positron emitting tomography><replacement tissue><response><success>