The Hyderabad based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has been entrusted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi as a co-coordinating laboratory for the CSIR Network Project on 'Infectious Disease Handling, Storage and Research Facilities'.
As part of this project, it is proposed to set up Bio-Safety Laboratory (BSL) 3 Level Laboratories at five national labs of CSIR namely Institute of Microbial Technology (Chandigarh), Regional Research Laboratory (Jammu), Central Drug Research Institute (Lucknow), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Microbiology, New Delhi and Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata. These laboratories are to be accommodated in the existing buildings by making suitable modifications and alterations.
The total cost of setting up of all the five labs is estimated to be around Rs. 4.5 crore. And the work, which is likely to be carried out simultaneously at all the national labs is to take about 8 months from zero date. CCMB has invited tenders from firms / contractors for designing and execution of the project, on turnkey basis.
Scientists use bio-safety labs to study contagious materials safely and effectively. These state-of-the-art labs are designed to not only protect researchers from contamination, but also to prevent micro organisms from entering the environment.
There are four biosafety levels (BSLs) that define proper laboratory techniques, safety equipment, and design, depending on the types of agents being studied:
BSL-1 labs are used to study agents not known to consistently cause disease in healthy adults. They follow basic safety procedures and require no special equipment or design features. BSL-2 labs are used to study moderate-risk agents that pose a danger if accidentally inhaled, swallowed or exposed to the skin. Safety measures include the use of gloves and eyewear as well as hand-washing sinks and waste decontamination facilities. BSL-3 labs are used to study agents that can be transmitted through the air and cause potentially lethal infection.
Researchers perform lab manipulations in a gas-tight enclosure. Other safety features include clothing decontamination, sealed windows, and specialized ventilation systems. And BSL-4 labs are used to study agents that pose a high risk of life-threatening disease for which no vaccine or therapy is available. Lab personnel are required to wear full-body, air-supplied suits and to shower when exiting the facility. The labs incorporate all BSL 3 features and occupy safe, isolated zones within a larger building.