Addressing potential threats from bio- and agro-terrorism and naturally occurring animal diseases, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) enhances the U.S. government’s research, development, testing, and evaluation countermeasure capabilities by establishing a modern, integrated foreign animal and zoonotic disease research, development, and testing facility. This high-containment research facility contains BSL-2, ACL-2, BSL-3, ACL-3, BSL-3Ag, and BSL-4 laboratories.
Designed and built in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the new facility provides modern, safe, and secure biocontainment laboratories for licensing animal vaccines; defending against high-consequence diseases in livestock; and providing the essential infrastructure for threat characterization, forensics, and detection.
The NBAF complex includes 574,000 gross square feet of laboratory space, including biosafety levels 2, 3, and 4 laboratories. The BSL level 4 containment laboratories require the highest level of safety protocols and equipment, enabling scientists to safely study and diagnose a variety of high-consequence animal pathogens.
In addition, an 87,000-square-foot, free-standing Central Utility Plant (CUP) houses boilers, chillers, emergency diesel generators, and other support elements for the main laboratory facility.
Replacing and expanding upon the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, NBAF enhances the DHS’s and USDA’s capabilities to meet mandated national biological and agricultural defense mission requirements by creating an integrated and comprehensive system to rapidly recognize and characterize biological agents in animal populations, food, water, agriculture, and the environment.
The entire campus was designed to meet sustainability goals and energy efficiency targets not often realized in high-containment programs (BSL-2 through BSL-4)—ultimately achieving LEED Gold certification.
Jorban-Riscoe worked with Camfil and the design team and contractors to provide filtration and containment for BSL and ABSL laboratories.