NEIDL Researchers Present Case for Next-Level Research

Infectious disease experts and administrators from Boston University told the Boston Biosafety Committee (BBC) on Monday night that the ability to conduct research at Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) at BU’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL) would speed the development of treatments and vaccines for life-threatening diseases and further the development of Boston as the country’s most vital hub of biomedical research. The BBC, made up of biosafety experts and community residents, is an advisory group to the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), whose approval of BSL-4 research, currently sought by the NEIDL, is the final regulatory step required for the laboratory to conduct such research. In December, after more than two years of intensive review, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved BSL-4 research at the NEIDL, which has been conducting research at BSL-2 and BSL-3.

Monday night’s public meeting of the BBC, which was devoted to discussion of NEIDL’s request for permission to conduct BSL-4 research, opened with a lengthy review of training practices and other safety precautions that have been established at the laboratory. Situated on BU’s Medical Campus in the South End, the NEIDL has been the focus of years of litigation and controversy, with opponents arguing that its urban location introduces a large population to unnecessary risk, and proponents contending that the Medical Campus site is essential to attract top research talent and foster the necessary interdisciplinary research collaboration. Completed in 2008, the lab meets the most stringent safety specifications set by the United States government for conducting infectious disease research. There are currently 11 BSL-4 labs across North America—10 in the United States and one in Winnipeg, Canada.