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Trans-Center Cores
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BSL4 Core Institution: University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, Galveston, TX Director: C. J. Peters, M.D. Shope BSL4 Laboratory Director: Michael R. Holbrook, Ph.D. – UTMB, Galveston, TX Associate Director: Jean Patterson, Ph.D. – Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR), San Antonio, TX BSL4 Laboratory Scientific Manager: Ricardo Carrion, Jr., Ph.D. – SFBR, San Antonio, TX Description: The WRCE BSL4 Core provides the infrastructure to permit safe work to be performed on aerosol-infectious, potentially lethal agents. The Core consists of the mechanical safeguards of two high-containment laboratories, the provision of training in BSL4 operations, and assistance in operations within the laboratories. Part of this core is located at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) in San Antonio, Texas, where 1200 square feet of BSL4 laboratory space is available. The other component provides 2000 square feet at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. The SFBR facility has been in operation since March of 2000 and provides space for microbiological operations as well as housing for rodents and small nonhuman primates. The UTMB facility, named the Robert E. Shope, M.D. Laboratory, has been in operation since June of 2004, and includes space for animals. Both facilities have access to a high intensity gamma irradiator allowing inactivation of samples for further analysis outside the BSL4 laboratory. This core is essential for work on the hemorrhagic fever viruses and multi-drug resistant bacteria. Generally, investigators are trained in BSL4 containment and work within the BSL4 laboratory on their own projects, but technical assistance is available. Approximately 20% of the activity is devoted to challenge experiments using established animal models to test newly developed vaccines and therapeutics.
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