New Pirbright facility addresses zoonotic diseases
The new facility will support The Pirbright Institute as it investigates high-consequence pathogens.
The Pirbright Institute has unveiled its new major high-biological containment facility, which will become operational from 2026.
The Brooksby Building will support the group as it researches the viral diseases which can affect livestock and spread to humans.
Among the zoonotic diseases that the facility will study are Rift Valley fever virus and Japanese encephalitis virus. It will also contribute to the Pirbright Institute’s wider work monitoring other high-consequence pathogens such as foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), African swine fever virus and bluetongue virus.
These viruses have the potential to develop into pandemics which cause social and economic damage globally.
The 4,745 square-metre building has been named after John Brooksby CBE, a former director of the Pirbright Institute known for his work with FMDV research. Dr Brooksby joined the Institute in 1939, where he spent many years developing diagnostics methods and vaccines for swine vesicular disease.
Dr Brooksby was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society in 1970 and is credited with building an international reputation for the Pirbright Institute.
The new facility, which was funded by UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), joins the Institute’s existing network of high-containment laboratories and extensive insectary facilities.
The Pirbright Institute was designated the World Reference Laboratory for FMDV in 1958 and has played a major role in keeping Europe free from FMDV. Its work has also contributed to the global eradication of cattle plague (Rinderpest).
It is hoped that the building will enable the group to continue predicting, detecting, understanding and responding to the global threat of zoonotic diseases.
Bryan Charleston FRS, director of the Pirbright Institute, said: “These facilities at Pirbright will help provide the UK with the resilience to respond to these growing and severe threats.
“Brooksby reinforces the Institute’s role as a unique UK National Capability, in addition to fostering collaborations with worldwide organisations to access our unrivalled scientific expertise and physical resources.”
Anne Ferguson-Smith, executive chair at the UKRI BBSRC, said: “This state-of-the-art infrastructure is not just a building, however. It is the cornerstone upon which cutting-edge research is built and a crucial driver of bioinnovation.
“By investing in critical research infrastructure, BBSRC is not only future-proofing UK bioscience, but safeguarding and preparing our society and economy against future threats.”
Image © The Pirbright Institute
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