A Workshop to Anticipate the Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-Containment Biological Laboratories

Although high-containment biological laboratories— equivalent to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Biological Safety Level (BSL) 3 and 4—are needed to isolate and characterize highly dangerous pathogens , they are complex systems with inherent risks. On July 10-13, 2011, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in partnership with the Turkish Academy of Sciences held an international workshop on " Anticipating Program sponsored the workshop. Sixty-eight scientists and technical experts from 32 countries, including representatives from countries experienced in operating laboratories as well as individuals from countries, particularly in the developing world, that are contemplating or undertaking the construction of new facilities, participated in the workshop. The workshop was designed to examine issues related to the design, construction, and operation of high-containment biological laboratories and to generate practical and implementable guidance for countries considering constructing or expanding their high-containment facilities. Attendees also addressed the public health benefits and financial, safety, and security considerations associated with high-containment laboratories and areas where current biosafety practices are not well-matched to actual safety or security needs. The workshop began with a session that outlined the factors driving and restraining the expansion and creation of new and existing laboratories and examined the costs, benefits, and safety and security concerns associated with the expansion. Speakers reminded the participants that lab practices are intended to keep the worker safe, buildings are designed to keep the community safe, and that there are often many ways to achieve those objectives. A significant amount of time was invested early in the workshop on characterizing the processes that countries and corporations use in deciding what types of labs to construct, where and when to build labs, and assessing how well the resulting labs meet their owners' goals. First, speakers provided an overview of assessments by describing the analytical processes employed and the purposes they serve, as well as who should be involved in the process and what information might need to be included in the analytical process. After considering assessments broadly, speakers then used specific labs as case studies to examine the degree to which original objectives are achieved and to share lessons they learned during design, construction, commissioning, and operation. They discussed how well particular labs are fulfilling their original research and public health goals, whether initial and ongoing costs and funding have been as expected, and challenges with ongoing biosafety, biosecurity, and maintenance efforts. In addition, some participants …