UMH Introduces a Biological Safety Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research

The Miguel Hernández University has introduced a level 2 biological containment laboratory (moderate risk) at its Elche campus to research infectious diseases. This facility, inaugurated on Tuesday in the Von Humboldt Room of the Torregaitán building on the Elche campus, will serve the members of the Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Health Biotechnology (IDiBE).

At the end of last year, the facility received a favourable report from the Carlos III Institute for meeting the requirements established in current legislation in the field of biosecurity in scientific research, being classified as a level 2 biological containment infrastructure (NCB2). This classification will allow safe work with pathogens (bacteria and viruses) that pose a moderate risk to people and the environment.

One of the first projects to be developed at the facility will involve testing new vaccines against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), in collaboration with the General University Hospital of Elche. Another project will focus on designing new antibiotics to combat the resistance that has been developing to current treatments.

The NCB2 laboratory is a restricted facility, consisting of an anteroom for the preparation of personnel and materials, as well as two workrooms: one for virus research and the other for working with bacteria. Both the anteroom and the two work laboratories are equipped with the necessary safety measures to protect users, as well as all Institute personnel and the environment.

Biocontainment measures include type II biological safety cabinets, an exclusive ventilation system that maintains the laboratory under negative pressure to prevent the escape of agents to the outside, as well as an air treatment unit with HEPA filters, responsible for filtering the extracted air before its release into the atmosphere. Additionally, authorised personnel working in this infrastructure will be previously trained with specific biosecurity courses.