Why is the UW applying for an RBL construction grant?
The UW does not have enough space for its currently funded infectious disease research. The UW is already conducting critical BSL-3 research at various sites throughout the UW; in the past, most of these laboratories focused on HIV or tuberculosis. With the award of the RCE to UW, the existing BSL-3 space is no longer sufficient to permit future growth of infectious disease research. The Federal government has indicated a strong desire to establish an RBL facility on the West Coast. The UW’s unique strengths in biotechnology and genomics serve the needs of our regional partners throughout Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI), as well as the state of Oregon. This region occupies greater than one-quarter of the landmass of the U.S. With the region’s close ties to Canada and links to the Pacific Rim, the Pacific Northwest can play an important role in national biodefense. The UW’s growing need for space for infectious disease research, the national interests in this regi
