Why did Tufts want to build a Regional Biosafety Laboratory?
First, this biosafety laboratory allows scientists in Tufts’ Division of Infectious Diseases to build upon the work they have been doing to protect human and animal health in the safest possible environment. In the past 20 years, about 80 percent of emerging infectious diseases have been zoonotic in nature—meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans. The NE-RBL allows scientific investigators on a veterinary school campus to accelerate the search for vaccines and treatments for these diseases. Second, Tufts veterinarians and researchers have a responsibility to contribute to the advancement of public health. Because of the nature of research they undertake in the NE-RBL, they will be able to make a greater contribution to protect the public against disease. Finally, Tufts believes that the new laboratory is a substantial research resource for the growing life sciences cluster in Central Massachusetts. Tufts is committed to making the laboratory benefit the Grafton area as a
