BSL-3 LAB

The Laboratory Capacity at UCRC

The existing building space was made available by USTTB and the University teaching Hospital at Point G. NIAID has invested in extensive renovations and equipment. This space now houses the laboratory, which includes rooms dedicated to the disciplines of Immunology, Hematology, Serology/Fluorescent Microscopy, Quantitative Viral Load Testing and HIV drug resistance testing, Mycobacteriology, and the Molecular Biology and Sequencing Laboratory. The space also includes a small lab supply storage area, a freezer storage room, and three large Liquid Nitrogen Sample Storage Canisters, electronically monitored by sending alerts, using a mailing and SMS system. In April 2014, we added the Ebola diagnostic platform to our regular laboratory testing. The laboratory facilities are supported by two backup generators, each with a capacity of 110kVA.

The Laboratory is comprised of 912 square feet of Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) space. In addition, 279 square feet are dedicated to a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab. In February 2006, the BSL-3 laboratory was inspected and found to meet and/or exceed the requirements as described in the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual (3rd Edition) and the CDC/NIH publication Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (4th Edition.). As a result, official certification was granted. Re-verification of facility systems operations is performed by certified groups on an annual basis. The Lab diagnosed the first two COVID-19 patients in Mali and is still supporting the national COVID-19 program for diagnosis and virus characterization, which helps advice the committee.

In addition to the laboratory, there are 18 support rooms, which includes offices, a large laboratory supply storage area, phlebotomy rooms, a clinical exam room, a conference room, toilets, and a kitchen. The project offices and laboratory spaces are equipped with 40 desktop computers. Access to the internet is available, supporting regular intercontinental communication as well as access to scientific information, journal articles, and publications, in real-time. Fifteen laptop computers have also been purchased to support off-sight work activities. Laboratory security, by guard surveillance, is maintained 24 hours per day, including weekends and holidays. Access is also controlled using a security ID card scan. UCRC is comprised of 350 staff, including scientists and support staff. The scope of the laboratory testing includes the following:

BSL-3 lab

Two large biosafety cabinets, four incubators connected to CO₂, one -80^oC freezer, one 4^oC refrigerator, a large centrifuge, one microscope, one Genprobe LEADER 450i Luminometer, BD BACTEC™ 9050 Blood Culture System, and one autoclave (please see picture below). The BSL-3 lab receives annual biosafety inspection and certification from certified experts. The last successful inspection was in December 2020 and the next will be in November 2021.