BSL-3 High Containment Area

Overview 

The WVU BSL-3 High-Containment Area provides a state-of-the-art research facility for faculty and clinicians who are pursuing pathogen-related research. The facility is approximately 1,500 square feet, with two animal holding rooms, a laboratory and a procedures room. It has been commissioned by an experienced certifying company to meet all requirements of a BSL-3/ABSL-3 facility by Biosafety in Microbiological & Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) guidelines. Since bio-security is an extremely
important element of BSL-3 research, gaining access to the facility requires a key fob plus recognition by a biometric iris scanner.

Equipment

  • EVOS M5000 Microscope
  • Biosafety Cabinets in Every Room
  • Ultracentrifuge
  • Real-time qPCR Machine
  • Autoclave
  • CO 2 Incubator
  • -80 °C & -20 °C freezers
  • Microcentrifuge
  • Allentown BCU Animal Housing System
  • SwifTAG Camera System (Animal Monitoring)
  • Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) 

Contacts

Biosafety Officer 

Alexandra Elliott, PhD | aaelliott@mail.wvu.edu | (304) 293-7157

Assistant Biosafety Officer 

Matthew Stinoski | mstinosk@mail.wvu.edu | (304) 581-1759

Acknowledgements 

Please remember to acknowledge support for the HCA in all your publications:

BSL-3 experiments were performed in the West Virginia University High Containment Facility which has been supported by the Foster Family Foundation, WVU HSC Office of Research and Graduate Education, and NIH grant C06RR030016.

Research Forrest