News Release
June 23, 2009

Work begins on critical domestic herd, wildlife disease lab at UW

In about two years, a new $24.9 million biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory at the University of Wyoming will house critical research and testing on diseases that infect both domestic and wildlife herds in Wyoming.

Groundbreaking for the addition to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory (WSVL) was Tuesday, June 23, in West Laramie. A BSL-3 laboratory allows disease agents like brucellosis, plague, tularemia and Q fever to be studied in a safe environment.

“When complete, the BSL-3 laboratory will significantly increase our ability to diagnose and then do needed research about these disease agents,” said Frank Galey, dean of the UW College of Agriculture.

Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, said his organization is pleased the project is starting because of the ongoing challenge with brucellosis in northwest Wyoming.  

“We have worked very hard the last two or three years with the University of Wyoming and Wyoming State Legislature to secure funding for this,” he said.

The cost of construction is projected at $18 million and the total project cost $24.9 million, said Ian Catellier, project manager for the State of Wyoming. Funds will come out of the Wyoming General Fund. The legislature approved the project during its session earlier this year.

A federal BSL-3 designation for a laboratory means it’s designed to be highly secure. With specialized safety features, the lab provides a safe environment for researchers whose work involves biological agents that may cause disease in humans and animals.

“This is a perfect example of how the research and outreach missions of the university work to help solve issues impacting Wyoming,” UW President Tom Buchanan said. “The work that will be done in the new biosafety lab is applied research at its best.”

Since the Department of Homeland Security was established following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, research with live Brucellosis abortus bacteria can be conducted only in a BSL-3 laboratory.

“We believe the only long-term answer to brucellosis in Wyoming wildlife and spreading to cattle is through research over time bringing us a more efficacious vaccine,” said Magagna. “We are anxious to see research undertaken.”

The Wyoming Wool Growers Association has been a longtime supporter of the WSVL, which is managed by the College of Agriculture, said Bryce Reece, executive vice president of the organization.

“We saw early on what the capabilities of an enhanced BSL-3 laboratory could do for our industry and our state and have supported it throughout the long and sometimes arduous track it has been forced to travel,” he said.

The BSL-3 laboratory will improve the capabilities of the WSVL, Reece said, “which, in turn, enhances and provides tremendous benefit to both the sheep industry of Wyoming as well as all of animal agriculture in Wyoming.”

Reece, who is a strong proponent of the WSVL, said the BSL-3 laboratory will underscore WSVL’s status as one of the premier facilities in the region.

“We live in a changing, complex and much more dangerous world than at any time in our nation’s history,” said Reece. “Protection of our agriculture base is not only of importance to the producers who make their living in agriculture but is also one of our country’s most important national security challenges.”

###

Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

###