Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health

Last updated
Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health
Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health
General information
Address1015 Arlington Street, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4
Country Canada
Coordinates 49°54′36″N97°09′48″W / 49.9101°N 97.1632°W / 49.9101; -97.1632
Current tenants
Construction started1992
Construction stopped1997
Renovated2009, 2017
Renovation cost$16.5 m CAD
Owner Government of Canada
Technical details
Floor area315,000 sq ft (29,300 m2)
Grounds15 acres (61,000 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Jim Orzechowski
Architecture firmSmith Carter Architects and Engineers
Renovating team
Renovating firmSmith Carter Architects and Engineers
Main contractor PCL Constructors
Agency overview
Minister responsible
Parent department Public Health Agency of Canada
References
[1] [2]

The Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (CSCHAH) is an infectious disease laboratory complex in Winnipeg, Manitoba, owned and operated by the Government of Canada. This modern facility is home to two laboratories: the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD). [3] [4] It was the workplace of approximately 550 federal employees prior to the Covid-19 outbreak; since then it has been home to over 800 staff. [5]

Contents

While most of the laboratory space is dedicated to Containment Level 2 (also known as Biosafety Level 2) and Containment Level 3 laboratories, CSCHAH is the only facility in Canada operating Containment Level 4 (CL4) laboratories and is the first facility in the world to have both human and animal Level 4 laboratories under one roof. [4]

Both NML and NCFAD operate critical diagnostic testing programs relied on across the country. These programs protect human health, animal health, and international trade.[ citation needed ]

History

In the 1980s, both Agriculture Canada (prior to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency being formed) and Health Canada identified the need to replace existing laboratory space that was reaching the end of its lifespan as well as the need for Containment Level 4 space in the country. Numerous benefits were identified for housing both laboratories in one building, including cost savings. Winnipeg was chosen as the site and an announcement was made in October 1987. [6]

After some debate, the spot chosen for the site was a city works yard near to the Health Sciences Centre (a major teaching hospital) and the University of Manitoba's medical school. The City of Winnipeg transferred the title for $1. Construction of the facility that came to be named the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (often referred to locally as "the Virology Lab") began with an official groundbreaking in December 1992. The design team, headed by the Winnipeg-based Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Inc., visited laboratories around the world to seek best practices in containment and design. Construction finished toward the end of 1997, with the first programs beginning in the spring of 1998 following an extensive commissioning process. The rest of the laboratories then became operational one by one. The official opening took place in 1999. [7] [8]

Since then, the laboratories in the facility have been instrumental in responding to a number of significant infectious disease outbreaks: The 2003 SARS outbreak when NML led the laboratory response; the 2003 BSE case when NCFAD provided the diagnosis of the initial case and then undertook testing as part of a vast investigation; the 2004 avian influenza outbreak in BC for which NCFAD led the laboratory investigation.

In 2007 a scientific review paper stated that the CSCHAH "has become the prototype for modern BSL4 laboratories". [8]

In 2009, Mexico sought help from NML in identifying the unknown respiratory pathogen which was to become known as the pandemic H1N1 influenza.

NML's involvement in the response to the West African Ebola outbreak. For a period of about 18 months, teams from NML travelled to West Africa to aid in the diagnostics during the outbreak. Their ongoing work on developing both a vaccine and treatment was fast-tracked into clinical trials during this period to help stop the outbreak.

Co-location

The primary reason for housing the two laboratories in the same complex was economic. It saves the citizens of Canada money by only having one facility to operate with a number of shared services also keeping costs down. However, the partnership between these two world leading labs also allows for collaboration and cooperation on established, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Many of the viruses, bacteria and prions studied at CSCHAH are zoonotic, meaning that they can transfer from animals to humans. Co-location of these labs allows scientists to work together on these shared challenges and to take advantage of each other's complementary expertise and unique resources. This model is held in high regard within the international containment laboratory community.[ citation needed ]

Facility

CSCHAH is a state-of-the-art, 332,766 square foot complex. Built to exceed national and international standards, CSCHAH maintains its high level of excellence through ongoing maintenance and regular upgrades. The complex is built as a series of program-specific blocks interconnected by an area dedicated to common elements for both departments such as the library, cafeteria, and theatre.

CSCHAH houses laboratories to manage any type of infectious organism from the most common to the most exotic. Containment Level 2 (CL2) laboratories are the same as what can be found at a hospital or doctor's office; 60.8% of CSCHAH lab space is dedicated to level 2. Containment Level 3 involves specific engineering controls and protocols to ensure the safety of lab staff, the public and the environment; 35.5% of CSCHAH lab space is CL3 space, the majority of which is dedicated to animal pathogens. Although the facility is thought of as a "Level 4 facility," only 3.7% of lab space is used for CL4. Level 4, with its special construction and biosafety suits, is necessary to work with the most serious of pathogens including Ebola, Nipah, and Marburg. [9] [10]

Following the SARS outbreak in 2003, lessons learned resulted in a number of changes to public health in Canada. Among those were the creation of the Public Health Agency of Canada, [11] and the construction of a high-tech operations centre at CSCHAH. This operations centre is the hub of the National Microbiology Laboratory when there is an outbreak or a deployment of personnel off-site. It is equipped with three separate phone systems, can videoconference with 38 participants at a time, and can connect via satellite to remote locations around the world. Virtually all staff at NML are trained in the Incident Command System and are able to jump into action at a moment's notice if there is a public health event of some type.[ citation needed ]

A three-story expansion to the building was completed in 2011. The expanded and renovated areas include specimen receiving, shipping and receiving, bio-repository, media preparation, office, and meeting space. [12]

Safety

CSCHAH was designed for safety; it was built to meet or exceed all national and international standards. The construction, engineering controls and sterilization systems are geared toward the highest level of safety.[ citation needed ]

Safety is of paramount importance to everyone working in the facility. Extensive Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are in place and everyone is well-trained for the specific area they work in. A safety and environmental services (SES) team provides numerous "hands-on" demonstrations and presentations on biosafety and occupational health and safety throughout the year and provides 24/7 response to biological or chemical issues.[ citation needed ]

Any material exiting the level 3 or 4 laboratories must be sterilized or decontaminated in some manner. Air is drawn into the laboratories through the use of negative air pressure before being filtered out through High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. Laboratory waste such as gloves, test tubes, and pipette tips are removed via an autoclave, a piece of equipment that sterilizes materials with steam and pressure. Any liquids leaving the high-containment space go through a biowaste system that operates like a large autoclave to sterilize it. The high-containment labs are built as a box-in-a-box; they do not border exterior walls and there are mechanical spaces above and below them.[ citation needed ]

Security

CSCHAH is a high-security facility. Security staff work closely with local police, RCMP and CSIS to ensure an appropriate level of security at all times. Only the lobby area is open to the public; all guests must be escorted within the secure area at all times. All staff working in the facility have Secret Level II security clearance.[ citation needed ]

Community Liaison Committee

The Community Liaison Committee to the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health was struck by the ministers of Health and Agriculture in 1999. [13] The committee's first meeting took place in January 2000. It was to create a basis for and to maintain an atmosphere of public trust and confidence between the centre and the community.[ citation needed ]

The committee consists of volunteer members representing a wide range of organizations including community residents, scientists, health care professionals, and agricultural professionals. The committee meets at least four times per year, holds regular public information sessions and issues reports on their activities. Other laboratories have been modelled on this approach.[ citation needed ]

At the committee's request, CSCHAH developed reporting guidelines to determine the extent of communication around any incidents that may take place at the centre. This ensures that the committee and others are apprised of incidents of any significance in a timely manner plus they have access to information on each and every incident no matter how minor, at their meetings.[ citation needed ]

Components

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biosafety</span> Prevention of large-scale loss of biological integrity

Biosafety is the prevention of large-scale loss of biological integrity, focusing both on ecology and human health. These prevention mechanisms include the conduction of regular reviews of biosafety in laboratory settings, as well as strict guidelines to follow. Biosafety is used to protect from harmful incidents. Many laboratories handling biohazards employ an ongoing risk management assessment and enforcement process for biosafety. Failures to follow such protocols can lead to increased risk of exposure to biohazards or pathogens. Human error and poor technique contribute to unnecessary exposure and compromise the best safeguards set into place for protection.

Biosecurity refers to measures aimed at preventing the introduction and/or spread of harmful organisms intentionally or unintentionally outside their native range and/or within new environments. In agriculture, these measures are aimed at protecting food crops and livestock from pests, invasive species, and other organisms not conducive to the welfare of the human population. The term includes biological threats to people, including those from pandemic diseases and bioterrorism. The definition has sometimes been broadened to embrace other concepts, and it is used for different purposes in different contexts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biosafety level</span> Set of biocontainment precautions

A biosafety level (BSL), or pathogen/protection level, is a set of biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed laboratory facility. The levels of containment range from the lowest biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) to the highest at level 4 (BSL-4). In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have specified these levels in a publication referred to as BMBL. In the European Union, the same biosafety levels are defined in a directive. In Canada the four levels are known as Containment Levels. Facilities with these designations are also sometimes given as P1 through P4, as in the term P3 laboratory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biological hazard</span> Biological material that poses serious risks to the health of living organisms

A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A biohazard could also be a substance harmful to other living beings.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention.

The National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) is part of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, health emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization</span>

The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) is a research organization of the University of Saskatchewan that operates with financial support from the Government of Canada, the government of Saskatchewan, livestock industry councils and agencies, foundations and human and animal health companies. In addition to the 2,500,000 sq ft (230,000 m2) facility on campus, VIDO also operates a 160-acre (0.6 km2) research station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biocontainment</span> Physical containment of pathogenic organisms or agents in microbiology laboratories

One use of the concept of biocontainment is related to laboratory biosafety and pertains to microbiology laboratories in which the physical containment of pathogenic organisms or agents is required, usually by isolation in environmentally and biologically secure cabinets or rooms, to prevent accidental infection of workers or release into the surrounding community during scientific research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility</span> American BSL-4 research facility

The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) is a biosafety level 4 research laboratory in Manhattan, Kansas, operated by the United States Department of Agriculture. The facility opened in June 2023. The facility is designed to combat biological threats involving human, zoonotic, and foreign animal diseases. The NBAF replaced the aging Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) on Plum Island, New York. The primary research tenants of the facility are the Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS) and Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services (USDA-APHIS-VS). Construction on the 574,000-square-foot (53,300 m2) facility officially began in May 2015, and was scheduled to be completed by May 2021. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, however, has delayed scheduled commissioning to October 2021, followed by further delays to Spring, and finally summer 2023. Operations will be fully transferred from the Plum Island facility by 2023. The facility employs between 250 and 350 people. The facility is a constituent member of the Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network, and is currently led by Alfonso Clavijo.

The National Institute of Virology in Pune, India is an Indian virology research institute and part of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It was previously known as 'Virus Research Centre' and was founded in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation. It has been designated as a WHO H5 reference laboratory for SE Asia region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain Laboratories</span>

Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) is part of the NIH Intramural Research Program and is located in Hamilton, Montana. Operated by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, RML conducts research on maximum containment pathogens such as Ebola as well as research on prions and intracellular pathogens such as Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis. RML operates one of the few Biosafety level 4 laboratories in the United States, as well as Biosafety level 3 and ABSL3/4 laboratories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon PHL/DEQ Laboratories</span> Public health laboratory of Oregon, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeromedical Isolation Team</span> Former US Army aeromobile biocontainment team

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The National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD), located in the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is part of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s National Centres for Animal Disease. NCFAD is co-located with the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory.

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Gary P. Kobinger is a Canadian immunologist and virologist who is currently the director at the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas. He has held previous professorships at Université Laval, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, he was the chief of the Special Pathogens Unit at the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for eight years. Kobinger is known for his critical role in the development of both an effective Ebola vaccine and treatment. His work focuses on the development and evaluation of new vaccine platforms and immunological treatments against emerging and re-emerging viruses that are dangerous to human health.

References

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  2. "1015 Arlington". Winnipeg Architecture Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
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  5. Tarry, Sean. "The National Microbiology Laboratory: Tracking and researching the world's deadliest pathogens". Dovetail Communications. BioLab Business. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
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