In February, UC plans to submit an application for federal funding that would support construction of a national, high-security laboratory at UC Davis where infectious diseases could be safely diagnosed and studied.

The proposed high-containment laboratory will be what is known as a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory and will provide West Coast researchers with the tools needed to diagnose and study any infectious disease, whether it occurs naturally or is intentionally introduced by bioterrorists.

The proposed project comes in response to a national need for expanded capacity to conduct research and develop new vaccines, diagnostics and medicines for the most serious infectious diseases and a call from the National Institutes of Health for proposals to construct such a facility. There are currently only two comparable facilities in operation in the United States and one in Canada, with none on the West Coast to meet public health needs in the event of an emergency.

• variety of information regarding the proposed facility has been posted at a new UC Davis Web site at http://www.news.ucdavis. edu/biodefense. Frequently asked questions about such facilities include:

What is a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory?

Biosafety Level 4 laboratories are constructed and equipped to enable scientists to safely study the most serious disease-causing viruses and bacteria - those that cause highly contagious diseases for which there are currently no approved treatments. These facilities are frequently referred to as high-containment laboratories because they are designed to protect scientists and the public from infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion defines four levels of biosafety containment; Level 4 facilities meet the most stringent containment standards.

Why is this facility needed?

California and other western states face an increasing threat from emerging diseases. For instance, California has the highest incidence of hantavirus of any state and recently confirmed its first case of West Nile virus. Anthrax occurs naturally in our soils and was discovered in California cattle as recently as last year. The events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax scare illuminated a need to expand biodefense infrastructure.

While some of the world's most dangerous diseases threaten the region or are already present here, there are no West Coast laboratories capable of handling and diagnosing many of these agents. Currently, researchers and public health officials on the West Coast must send certain suspected agents to BSL4 facilities on the East Coast or to CDC in Atlanta for diagnosis, causing hours of delay that could hamper response to a bio-emergency. Regional public health officials hope the proposed facility will give researchers tools they need to diagnose and study any biological agent, known or unknown, safely and in a timely manner.

What kinds of diseases will be studied at this lab?

The proposed BSL4 facility will enable scientists to study a variety of diseases that threaten human and animal health, such as hantavirus, Lyme disease, plague, various strains of influenza, anthrax, foot and mouth disease and West Nile virus. It will also equip them to study any new or undefined organisms that may emerge.

Not all of these organisms require BSL4 containment, but having a BSL4 facility will allow scientists to work with any potentially hazardous agent, even an unknown one.

How can I be sure the lab is safe?

The lab itself will be designed and constructed based on the box-within-a-box-within-a-box design used by other BSL4 facilities, including the CDC's lab in Atlanta. Furthermore, the facility will meet all safety and security standards set by the National Institutes of Health and other federal and state agencies. There has never been a release of a biological agent from any facility of this type in North America.

Researchers who will use the lab are some of the nation's leading microbiological experts and have a long history of working safely with infectious and emerging diseases.

Why should this facility be built here?

The federal government has recognized the need for such a facility, and faculty and administrators believe that UC Davis, with its unusual combination of strengths in the life sciences, is in a strong position to help meet this need.

With a medical school and veterinary school renowned for expertise in infectious diseases, one of the nation's leading colleges of agricultural and environmental sciences, a national primate research center and one of the country's preeminent veterinary diagnostic research labs, UC Davis has the research assets and expertise to make optimal use of a high-containment research facility.

UC Davis researchers have worked successfully and safely with infectious agents for many years, and the campus's proximity to state emergency-services officials in Sacramento will aid in response coordination to bio-emergencies. UC Davis has long worked to improve and protect public health; this proposed facility is part of the university's effort to continue that mission in today's new and more dangerous environment.

How much will it cost and where is the money coming from?

The federal government anticipates providing up to $150 million over a five-year period to build and equip the center. The university would be expected to provide matching funds equal to one-fourth of the total facility costs.

If the campus receives funding for the center, it will then be eligible to apply for federal grants that would pay for the facility's operating expenses.

Where will the lab be located?

The campus is considering sites near the primate center as well as sites closer to the main facilities in the campus Health Sciences District, where the School of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and the veterinary diagnostic laboratory are located. The campus is scheduling a trip to a similar facility in Winnipeg, Canada, for early January and is inviting community leaders to come along.

After learning more about the Canadian facility, the campus intends to identify a single site for use in the grant application and the campus Long Range Development Plan.

If funding for the facility is approved by the National Institutes of Health, a project-specific environmental review will be conducted in accordance with all state and federal regulations before the project is considered for approval by the UC Regents.