CFAR Virology Core Facility

Description

The VC facility has one BL3 laboratory which occupies 800sq.ft. of space and maintains negative air pressure with respect to the outside. The facility contains a pass-through autoclave, five biosafety cabinets equipped with HEPA-filtered exhaust system, two microscopes, two microfuges, three desk-top low speed centrifuges, one ultracentrifuge, a refrigerator, a -80C freezer, a liquid-N2 freezer and three tissue culture incubators. The facility is also equipped with a FACsort flow cytometer and a cryostat. Entry into the lab is through an ante- room where workers change into protective clothing. Access to the ante-room and therefore, into the main lab is limited to "authorized users" who have either completed their training for safe-handling of pathogenic agents or are in the process of completing their training. A system is in place for a periodic biosafety refresher course for all the investigators using the Core facility. Users of the facility are required to log-in their name and time of entry/exit. Biocontainment procedures and procedures to follow after an accidental exposure to infected blood or cell culture are displayed prominently in the BL-3 laboratory.