"The addition of the BSL-3 facility greatly extends the Hygienic Laboratory's ability to provide critical testing services needed to make life-saving decisions," says UHL Director Christopher Atchison. "The new BSL-3 adds capacity in central Iowa and serves as an important alternative location to our Iowa City facility. This highly specialized lab will provide confirmatory testing in hours rather than days."

BSL-3 laboratories have the ability to test in a safe and controlled environment for infectious agents that could cause serious or potentially lethal diseases. The UHL's BSL-3 facility provides rapid testing for diseases such as tuberculosis and avian influenza, and other agents that may be used for bioterrorism.

"This facility allows us to work with highly pathogenic agents to not only protect our employees, but to protect co-workers in the lab and the community from potential exposure to these agents," says Dr. Mike Pentella, UHL associate director of the Hygienic Lab. "Without this BSL-3, we cannot do this work that is vital for the safety and security of Iowans."

The Ankeny facility and its sister BSL-3 lab at the Hygienic Laboratory in Iowa City are members of the nationwide Laboratory Response Network (LRN). The LRN is an integrated network of state and local public health, federal, military and international laboratories that responds to bioterrorism, chemical terrorism and other public health emergencies. This unprecedented program began in 1999 through the joint efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

Joining forces to construct the BSL-3 lab and cut the ribbon are (from left) Lee Friell, UHL Ankeny facilities manager; Chris Atchison, UHL director; Mary Jones, IDPH deputy director and director of the Division of Acute Disease Prevention and Emergency Response; Tim Ryburn, Department of Administrative Services (DAS) facilities administrator; and Steve Kuzynowski, DAS project manager.