BioSafety Level (BSL)-3 Core

Visit the BioSafety Level (BSL)-3 Core website

Director

Marty Pavelka, Ph.D.

Mission Statement

The Biosafety level three facility (BSL-3) is available for the use of any researcher at the university whose work requires manipulation of biological agents which may cause serious or potentially lethal disease as a result of exposure by the inhalation route.

Statement of Core Services/Functions

The BSL-3 Core laboratory functions as a safe working environment for high-risk and high-security bacterial pathogens. It is not a fee for service core, but functions instead as a core facility where properly trained users can manipulate various pathogenic bacteria under safe conditions, protecting both the user, other university personnel, and the public from harm. Users pay an hourly fee for use of the facility, which is charged out quarterly. The funds in the user account goes towards administrative fees, telecommunication charges, equipment service, and some user consumables such as certain components of personal protective equipment and safety and waste handling materials.

Specific Instrumentation/Equipment

The BSL-3 Core laboratory is a fully self-contained facility for work with pathogenic microorganisms, and includes 4 biosafety cabinets, several incubators as well as -80 freezers and a liquid nitrogen storage tank. Additional equipment includes a tabletop centrifuge with high and low speed rotors, an inverted microscope (Olympus CK40), a sonifier, visible light spectrophotometer, electroporator, and cell lysis equipment.

Faculty User Group

The Core is overseen by the BSL3 User Group and the Institutional Biosafety Committee.