The Davis laboratory would be the first research center to study these diseases on the West Coast. In the United States, only three laboratories--in Atlanta, Maryland and Texas--are permitted to study potential bioterrorist threats and emerging infectious diseases.
According to a source at the National Institutes of Health, the plans are to build one or two new labs that will study these agents and diseases. The UC Davis proposal is a strong one, as it involves funding from various major research institutions in California, including Stanford University, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and the entire UC system.
National Institutes of Health plans to develop research center to build defense against bioterrorism agents and tropical diseases, which have become a major concern since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The federal agency is determined to develop vaccines and figure out how the agents work.
If the proposal is approved, UC Davis and its associates must find a research center to be eligible for a high-tech building, which could cost $190 million. The proposal for the national center includes a "Biosafety Level 3-4" laboratory, which would house innovative equipment and containment technologies to study microorganisms that cause infectious diseases. The laboratory would focus on detection and identification of these microorganisms.
Supporters of the project say that the center is necessary, as it will prevent future bioterrorism, and that California, with its surplus of space, is the perfect place to build it. Opponents say that it would bring the most deadly and contagious diseases, including anthrax, too close to home.
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