Biohazards to be studied in Memphis
The University of Tennessee at Memphis inaugurates a new Level 3 Biohazard lab to develop new vaccines and antibiotics
A a new laboratory to research infectious diseases and bioterrorism has been completed at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
Professor Gerald Byrne, the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory director, says the lab will help develop new vaccines and antibiotics. ”Our facility has specialized equipment for rapid testing of new compounds,” he said.
Researchers will also study why some people are more susceptible to certain diseases than others.
Research is already under way on cholera, SARS and multi-drug resistant pathogens, including tuberculosis.
The 30,315-square-foot facility is a ”level 3” biocontainment lab, one of thirteen across the United States supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of its Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases project.
