# Facility Upgrade for the New England Regional Biosafety Laboratory

> **NIH NIH G20** · TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON · 2022 · $3,839,739

## Abstract

1. PROJECT SUMMARY (G20)
The New England Regional Biosafety Laboratory (NERBL) was established in 2007 on the Tufts University
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (TUCSVM) North Grafton MA campus. This facility was originally
designed to support research on emerging infectious diseases under BSL2 and BSL3 conditions, facilitate 
animal model ABSL3 studies, and allow local and regional investigators access to biocontainment facilities not 
available within their home institutions. Over the past 13+ years, the NERBL has effectively served as an 
important resource for researchers across TU as well as a variety of external stakeholders, including industry 
sponsors. However, several constraints have begun to hamper growth and sustainability of its mission. These
include outdated and/or non-functional laboratory equipment, poor efficiencies and workflow in the vivarium 
spaces, and aging building systems that represent safety and operational concerns. As such, the central 
purpose of this application is to upgrade our existing facility, particularly its foundational operating 
systems, and to modernize the vivarium and laboratory spaces with state-of-the-art technologies. To 
accomplish this, we will: 1) Upgrade the building automation system, HVAC actuators/filters/valves, facility 
lighting and electrical systems, and communication platforms; 2) Modernize and expand the vivarium with new 
ventilated rack systems that accommodate disposable caging for small animals to reduce costs and improve 
efficiencies, purchase a bioBUBBLE containment system to facilitate studies using larger animals, and 
implement telemetry for remote monitoring of animals; 3) Replace obsolete laboratory equipment with modern 
counterparts for high throughput in containment, permitting each BSL3 laboratory to be fully equipped and 
functionally independent, thereby maximizing research output, workflow, and user safety; and 4) Improve 
critical laboratory safety systems with technology upgrades that provide redundancy for decontamination and 
waste inactivation. Completion of these specific aims will ensure that the NERBL continues to advance 
emerging infectious disease research for the next decade. We will expand access for investigators performing 
cutting-edge studies by leveraging advanced laboratory methods and animal models in a safe, secure, and 
technologically sound environment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10630474
- **Project number:** 3G20AI167404-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Sam R Telford
- **Activity code:** G20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $3,839,739
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-08-22 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10630474

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10630474, Facility Upgrade for the New England Regional Biosafety Laboratory (3G20AI167404-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10630474. Licensed CC0.

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