National Biocontainment Laboratories Strengthen Readiness Through Collaborative Research and Preparedness Efforts

In 2001, shortly after 9/11, a suspected domestic terrorist mailed deadly anthrax to select politicians and journalists, raising concerns over the threat of bioterrorism. In response, the U.S. Government called for a network of new research laboratories to ensure preparedness against biologic threats whether natural or man-made. The network’s mission: to develop diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics to protect American citizens at home, as well as military personnel deployed around the world.

The National Institutes of Health, though the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), funded the construction of 14 specially designed containment laboratories to be built throughout the United States on university campuses that possessed highly respected infectious disease research programs. The facilities were designed with the sophisticated mechanical and environmental controls that allow for the safe study of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases, including those viruses considered the most dangerous in the world.

This lab network has now been in operation for nearly 20 years, and it consists of 12 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories (RBLs) and two National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBLs). The RBLs have containment facilities that can handle agents requiring Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) protection, allowing for the study of respiratory illnesses and zoonotic diseases that can be spread between and among animals and humans. The NBLs include both BSL3 and the maximum containment Biosafety Level 4 (BSL4) labs, or “spacesuit” labs, where scientists study viruses with high mortality rates for which no vaccines or therapeutics currently exist. Here scientists work to understand these viruses and develop medical countermeasures to protect vulnerable populations throughout the world.

It is within this academic laboratory network that specialized infectious disease research takes place. The two BSL4 labs are the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch and the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL) at Boston University. Both are staffed with internationally respected faculty, staff and students who are now, among other projects, focused on accelerating vaccine and therapeutic research on Bundibugyo, the rare Ebola virus that began spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and into Uganda in May of this year.

For the lab in Galveston, accelerating Bundibugyo research meant pulling out studies done during the last outbreak in 2013, when a vaccine candidate was developed in the lab of Dr. Thomas Geisbert and showed promising protection against this strain of Ebola with vaccinated nonhuman primates. As with lots of science on rare and seldom occurring diseases, that vaccine was published but not further developed, as priorities and funding shifted to the Zaire strain of Ebola when it began its assault on West African the next year. (An effective vaccine against the Zaire strain was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2020 and has been used effectively in subsequent African outbreaks. Both the GNL and NEIDL were involved with that effort.)

This type of outbreak response research effort has become routine through the years, and the NBLs have advanced national preparedness against numerous pathogens of pandemic potential through collaborative research with international partners and biopharmaceutical companies.

Importantly, for the labs in the NIAID academic network, workforce development is also key.  As academic institutions with respected graduate programs in microbiology, pathology, virology and more, the NBLs are providing both basic research on new or re-emerging viruses, as well as the development and testing of medical countermeasures designed to save lives while training the next generation of scientists.

For the U.S. and global scientific community, the NBLs and the RBLs provide specialized expertise, high-containment research capabilities, and scientific leadership needed to respond to evolving pathogens. As academic institutions, most enjoy more freedom than government labs to work with international health organizations or quickly pivot from one priority to the next as global health needs shift or new threats emerge.  That sort of academic freedom and flexibility has proved invaluable through the years.

Recent collaborative activities, including support for next-generation vaccine platforms and therapeutics that can quickly be customized for emerging pathogens, underscore the value of sustained investment in scientific readiness and appropriate national research infrastructure.

"Preparedness is not something that can be built overnight during a crisis," said Dr. Gene Olinger, Director of the Galveston National Laboratory. "It requires years of investment in facilities, people, partnerships, and scientific innovation. The National Biocontainment Laboratories provide a critical foundation that enables the nation to rapidly respond when new infectious disease threats emerge. The relationships we build and the research we conduct today directly enhance our ability to protect public health tomorrow," he said.

The NIAID network was not only established to provide the United States with specialized capabilities to safely study high-consequence pathogens and accelerate the development of treatment strategies. It also serves as a vital training ground for the next generation of scientists, biosafety professionals, and public health leaders who will continue to be faced with a highly mobile global environment where infectious diseases do not respect borders.

"One of the greatest strengths of the academic laboratory network is our ability to work together," said Dr. Robert Davey, Interim Director of NEIDL. "No single institution can address every challenge posed by emerging infectious diseases. By combining expertise, sharing resources, and coordinating research efforts, we create capabilities that are far greater than the sum of their parts. These collaborations help ensure that when the nation faces a new biological threat, we are prepared to respond quickly and effectively."

The partnership between GNL and NEIDL reflects a broader commitment among the nation's high-containment laboratories to support public health preparedness, scientific excellence, and innovation. Together, these facilities provide unique capabilities that enable researchers to evaluate emerging pathogens, assess risks, and advance promising medical countermeasures from concept to reality.

In addition to supporting research, the laboratories play a key role in maintaining scientific surge capacity during public health emergencies. Their work contributes to national resilience by ensuring that critical expertise, infrastructure, and response capabilities remain available when needed most.

"The value of preparedness is often measured by what does not happen. When outbreaks are contained, when medical countermeasures are available, and when response efforts can move quickly, it is often the result of years of collaboration and investment behind the scenes. This lab network exists to provide that readiness," Olinger says.

As emerging infectious diseases continue to pose challenges around the world, the GNL and NEIDL, as well as the dozen RBLs in the network, remain committed to working together with government, industry, nonprofit organizations, and international partners to advance science, strengthen preparedness, and improve health security for communities in the United States and beyond.

 About the Galveston National Laboratory

The Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch is one of the nation's premier high-containment research facilities. As a National Biocontainment Laboratory, GNL supports research, training, and response activities focused on emerging infectious diseases and biological threats.

About the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories

The National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories at Boston University is a National Biocontainment Laboratory dedicated to advancing research on emerging infectious diseases and developing medical countermeasures that strengthen public health preparedness and response.