George Mason University's Biomedical Research Laboratory (BRL) is one of the NIAID supported Regional Biocontainment Laboratories. It operates as a central core facility in the Institute for Biohealth Innovation to advance research and develop novel diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines against viral and bacterial infectious agents by a diverse population of investigators.
More information about this resource is available at George Mason University Biomedical Research Laboratory
Main Areas of Focus
- Generate advanced knowledge of pathogen biology and host interaction mechanisms;
- Evaluate diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to counter the threat of bio-terrorism and newly emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases;
- Serve a resource available and prepared to assist national, state, and local public health efforts in the event of a bioterrorism or infectious disease emergency; and
- Train the future workforce to safely and appropriately handle infectious agents and conduct innovative research in BSL-3 environments
Who Can Use This Resource
Investigators in academia, not-for-profit organizations, industry, and government studying biodefense and emerging infectious diseases may request access to the resources and capabilities of the Biocontainment Research Laboratory (BRL).
How To Get Started
Please contact the BRL director for further information.
Support Services
- ABSL-2 and ABSL-3 Animal Study Services: Animal procedure and assay development assistance to support submission for IACUC approval; Routine husbandry for infectious disease research; and Breeding colonies for research specific animal models.
- Aerobiology Core: Nose only and whole-body exposures of animals to BSL-2 and BSL-3 aerosolized bacterial and viral pathogens. The available equipment can also be used to test aerosolized delivery of therapeutics and vaccines and detect aerosolized pathogens.
- Animal Imaging: Non-invasive longitudinal monitoring of disease progression and organ function.
- Bacterial and Virological Assay Services: Multiple assays are available to study BSL-2 and BSL-3 bacterial and viral pathogens.
- Imaging and Cytometry Core: The imaging and cytometry core is equipped to support experiments such as the measurement of intracellular distributions of pathogens, investigation of intracellular host-events and immunomodulatory activities, and discovery and validation of biomarkers.
- Other cores beyond the walls of the BRL are available including proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, nanotechnology, drug discovery, and vaccine development.
Ability to Accommodate cGLP or cGMP Studies?
No.
Tools
Animal Capabilities, Including Species and Containment Level(s)
All available at BSL2 and BSL3 levels
- Mice
- Rats
- Hamsters
- Rabbits
- Ferrets
Animal Models, List Species, Disease and Delivery Method
Infectious and select agents can be delivered by intranasal, aerosol, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intravenous, and other injected methods.
Pathogens
Currently available pathogens include:
- Bacillus anthracis
- Brucella abortus
- Brucella melitensis
- Burkholderia mallei
- Burkholderia pseudomallei
- Francisella tularensis
- Rickettsia prowazekii
- Yersinia pestis
- Chikungunya Virus
- Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus
- Dengue Virus
- Rift Valley Fever Virus
- SARS-CoV-2
- Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus
- Western Equine Encephalitis Virus
- West Nile Virus
- Influenza (H5N1 and H1N1)
Imaging Capabilities
- Nikon Ti2 Confocal Microscope with Live Cell Imaging
- Molecular Devices ImageXpress Confocal High Content Microscope
- ONI NanoImager Super Resolution Fluorescent Microscope
- Caliper IVIS Lumina II Bioluminescence/Fluorescence
- Spectral Instruments LagoX IVIS
- FujiFilm Vevo F2 LAZR-X Photoacoustic Imaging System
- Mediso LFER150 PET/CT
- EVOS Cell Imaging System (BSL-2)
- Echo CellCyte X – Flourescent Live Cell Imaging System
- Echo Revolve Fluorecent Microscope
Major Equipment Available
- Germfree Class III Hoodline and Mobile Cart
- Biaera Automated Aerosol Generation System
- Cytek Aurora 5 Laser Spectral Flow Cytometer
- Cytek Aurora CS 3 Laser Cell Sorter
- ABI StepOnePlus Real Time PCR Instrument
- Qiagen QIAcuity Digital PCR System
- Qiagen QIAquant Real-Time PCR
- Qiagen QIAxcel Connect DNA and RNA Gel Electrophoresis
- Qiagen QIAcube Liquid Handler
- Opentrons Liquid Handler
- ZetaView FL Twin Small Particle Analyzer
- Biacore 1K+ Surface Plasmon Resonance Analyzer
- Illumina NextSeq 1000 Next-Gen Sequencer
- Promega Discovery Plate Reader
- Mesoscale Multiplex Cytokine Arrays
- Arcturus Laser Capture Microdissection Microscope
- Abaxis Piccolo blood Chemistry Analyzer
- Agilent Bioanalyzer
- Bio-Rad Western Blot and UV Imager
- High and Ultra speed Centrifuge
Shared Resources
Learn about additional research cores at Mason to compliment infectious disease work conducted in the BRL.
- CAP/CLIA Clinical Proteomics Laboratory
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory
- Nanofabrication Laboratory
- Protein Microarray and Molecular Characterization Laboratory
- Mason Metabolomics Facility
- MicroBiome Analysis Center
- NMR Laboratory
- Small Molecule, Peptide, and Protein Engineering Spectroscopy Laboratory
Proteomics
- Reverse Phase protein MicroArray pathway analysis: The NCBID has established strong collaborative relationships with the proteomics experts at GMU to enable studies that quantitate changes in host signaling proteins. The system is a unique protein microarray platform in conjunction with over 500 validated antibodies that span multiple innate immune responses of the human host. The system is backed by a unique informatics capability that enables data integration and pathway mapping.
- Unbiased proteomics: The NCBID is equipped to perform mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS, MALDI-MS, LAESI-MS) based proteomics studies for obtaining quantitative and qualitative information on host responses.
- Nanotrap, concentration for low abundance analytes
- GC-MS
- HPLC
- FPLC
Contact Information
Interim Director: Farhang Alem, PhD.