Regional Biocontainment Lab

In May 11, 2007, construction began on the Regional Biocontainment Lab (RBL) on the UofL Shelby campus, located 20 minutes east of downtown Louisville. The newly constructed 37,000 square foot facility, funded primarily by a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, provides a valuable national resource and asset to the University of Louisville, our region, and the greater scientific and public health communities.

In the summer of 2010, the RBL underwent an intensive facility commissioning by several third parties to ensure that the building meets or exceeds the engineered design and complies with all federal guidelines and regulations. After commissioning of the building, the RBL was certified to conduct biosafety level three (BSL3) research operations. The laboratory has been built to the most stringent federal standards and is also among the first to undergo certification through a “green design” program called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This program, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, grades building projects on energy efficiency and the use of other factors that benefit the environment.

Faculty, fellows, graduate students and staff affiliated with the Center for Predictive Medicine started work with infectious agents in the RBL in a phased approach in the Fall of 2010. All research conducted at the RBL is reviewed and approved by the UofL Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and/or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). BSL3 practices follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the United State Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of Health guidelines.