Smallpox virus Photo courtesy of Dr. Frederick Murphy

The Triangle is home to at least a dozen labs that test or research infectious diseases. These labs are listed as Biosafety Level 3 facilities; they are required to have high-level safety controls, including double entry doors, special ventilation systems and protective gear and respirators for workers inside the lab.

Level 3 labs may work with infectious agents that can cause serious or potentially lethal diseases if the pathogens are inhaled. Diseases that may be researched in these labs include tuberculosis, West Nile virus and HIV.

DURHAM
Duke University

• Cancer Center Isolation Facility, Research Drive—Studies cancer biology and treatment
• Global Health Research Building, Research Drive and Erwin Road—Researches and develops vaccines, drugs and diagnostics against emerging infections such as tuberculosis, SARS and influenza

RALEIGH
State government

• N.C. State Laboratory of Public Health (two facilities), 306 N. Wilmington St.—Tests for common infectious diseases as well as bioterrorism agents
• Rollins Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab, N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2101 Blue Ridge Road—Satellite facility of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network; tests classical swine fever, avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease

N.C. State University

• College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough St.— Two labs research animal diseases

CHAPEL HILL
UNC

• Carolina Vaccine Institute, 99 Manning Drive—Researches contagious viruses, such as Venezuelan equine encephalitis
• Mary Ellen Jones Building, Manning and West drives—Venezuelan equine encephalitis
• Medical Biomolecular Research Building, 103 Mason Farm Road—No public record of research , says UNC
• School of Public Health (two facilities), 135 Dauer Drive—Researches primarily HIV

RTP

• AlphaVax Vaccine Development Lab, 2 Triangle Drive—Researches HIV and SARS; in early production of biodefense vaccines for the Marburg virus, encephalitis,botulism and smallpox

Source: Expression of Interest Document, N.C. Consortium for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility