Overview

After nearly three years of careful planning, design and construction, the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) is virtually complete. This state-of-the-art facility will support an extraordinary team of scientists engaged in a vital effort to develop diagnostics drugs, vaccines and treatments to prevent and cure life- threatening infectious diseases.

Finishing touches and final checks are ongoing in the building's interior. Laboratory equipment and supplies are being moved into the facility. For more information on the NEIDL's design, view the NEIDL Fact Sheet.

Boston University Medical Center (BUMC) has applied for a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) from the City of Boston's Inspectional Services Department. Beginning February 2009, BUMC aims to use the NEIDL for administrative and training purposes.

Training will consist of simulations of laboratory-specific training exercises and be based on protocols from published research. These simulations will be full scale "walk through" dress rehearsals of each step in the process that led to acquiring the data that resulted in the published research and will be conducted with BUMC researchers, technicians, laboratory safety personnel, Public Safety personnel; and, city, state and federal safety regulatory agencies and more.

It is important to note that until the regulatory and judicial processes are complete, no research will take place in the NEIDL.

The training exercises will be some of the most comprehensive biosafety laboratory trainings ever simulated in a laboratory environment combined with the most extensive participation of internal and external personnel in a facility of this kind in the country.

Construction of the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories began in March 2006. View the phases of construction or image galleries for more information on the construction progress.