Galveston National Laboratory

Galveston National Laboratory (GNL) is a high-security biological defense research facility located on the campus of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. The facility is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) network of biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories and is the first such facility to be located on a university campus in the United States.

History

The Galveston National Laboratory was established in 2008 with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The facility was built in response to a perceived need for increased research capacity in the field of infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that can be used as biological weapons.

Facilities and Research

The GNL is a 174,000 square foot facility that houses several research laboratories. The facility includes two BSL-4 labs, which are the highest level of biosafety and are designed to handle the world's most dangerous pathogens. Research at the GNL is focused on developing vaccines and treatments for diseases such as Ebola, Marburg, and Lassa fever, among others.

Collaborations

The GNL collaborates with numerous other research institutions and agencies, both domestically and internationally. These collaborations aim to advance the understanding of infectious diseases and to develop effective countermeasures.

See also

• National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility
• Biosafety level
• Biological warfare