How the US Gov’s Riskiest Labs Contain Deadly Viruses

Video written by Amy Muller

[biovorebarrage]

In training the BSL levels were described to me as “1:don’t drink it, 2: don’t touch it, 3: don’t breathe it, and 4: don’t”.

[bigpharts]

And outside correspondent Amy didn't even enter a BSL-4 zone for footage? You guys have really gone down the tubes.

[leonguyen]

Way back when I was young, dumb, and thought I was invincible, I had the opportunity to work in a BSL3 on drug resistant tuberculosis in my undergrad. It made me really appreciate all the work that goes into finding cures for diseases.

[jjolmyun]

As someone who made a living designing high containment life sciences laboratories (including COVID treatment research facilities during the height of the pandemic), I would also like to add that higher level BSL labs are often contained within lower level BSL labs (e.g., BSL4 within BSL3 within BSL2) pneumatically—if not physically through careful spatial planning—to create multiple layers of containment. Pressure differential REALLY IS what's keeping spaces clean/separated and pathogens contained. Anything that creates air turbulence are examined over and over, and any materials or assemblies with potential for fluids to seap/pass through (e.g., outlets, door frames, windows, and even gypsum/drywall surfaces) are made air tight with seals/gaskets and air sealing paints/finishes.

You know things are getting serious when you see vestibules/airlocks and people busting out PAPRs...

P.s. BSL facilities are periodically renovated to keep up with the latest best practices and research needs, usually between 5 to 15 years, or even more frequently at smaller scales if there is a specific need (e.g., new pathogen handling, new equipment or process).

[gupdoo]

Thank you for making a video specifically for the type of person who went down a smallpox Wikipedia rabbit hole a couple of years ago and now gets to go "hey it's that thing I kinda know about"

[distortedrain]

I know a person who works in bio-labs that told me they chose not to work with pathogens because the fear of killing humanity from not washing their hands perfectly was too much.

[newsaxonyproductions]

That concept of pressurizing the rooms differently so that when the seal is breached, air flows *towards* the dangerous thing is actually such a genius and cool idea!

[bubbledoubletrouble]

0:16 That ought to say "should only exist". 10 years ago there was an incident where they just randomly found some vials of freeze-dried smallpox while cleaning out a storage area at a NIH lab in Maryland. Oopsies!

[Cats-TM]

0:50
Should have rewritten that sentence because Smallpox notoriously does have a vaccine.

[ronstevenson]

When I was a kid, I sent an email to the CDC asking about this very thing. I got a quizzical email in return stating that they weren't sure why I was asking but provided my the information anyway.

I'm certain I was on a list from that point onwards.

[ZestyZaza]

We have an island in the baltic sea here in germany called Riems which has an BSL-4 Lab on it and as far as i know no one besides the workers can enter the island

[fricki]

I regularly work in BSL-1 (regular lab and cell culture) and BSL-2 (cell culture only). When I was a bit younger I dreamed about also working in BSL-3 and maybe BSL-4, who knows, maybe I'll get there eventually.
BSL-1 is fairly relaxed, but in BSL-2 you get the impression that it starts to get serious.

[EW-edkd]

I expect to see you using a stock image of a Golden Retriever when referring to Labradors on the 2024 mess ups recap

[Bacopa]

There's a BSL 4 lab in Galveston at the UTMB campus. It's super hurricane hardened. Only two bridges and one ferry on the island, so I guess they can shut things down if necessary. Of course there are thousands of boats and even a large cruise ship terminal, so I guess you can get away if you need to.

[eggsontoast]

I'm an aspiring biologist, and all of my lab classes were in a Level 2 lab. I'm Australian so things are slightly different here. For us, Level 2 is required for any genetically-modified organism (genetic modification is a really common tool in biology research) and pathogens which are in Risk Group 2. We had some extra safety points on top of those mentioned for this level in the video:
- lab coats must stay inside the lab (they get specially cleaned)
- the negative pressure environment (the lower air pressure thing discussed here) is at this level, throughout the lab
- the air recirculates (though I think through a filter system of some kind)
- there are alarms on the doors which will sound if they're open longer than 30 seconds. This is because the pressure is beginning to equalise and air could start flowing out of the lab. There are also alarms for the air pressure in general
- the doors self-close and lock as part of not allowing unauthorised entry
- our hand-washing stations are motion-sensor activated, no touching taps
- the only thing you bring in or out of the lab is yourself and the clothes you're wearing. No other equipment, or food or water (though in the teaching labs we did bring lab books & pens in and out -- proper labs you can't)

I did a project in a proper research lab at my uni, and they were working with pathogenic strains of a bacteria sampled from the local hospital. This bacteria is one that people are quite concerned about worldwide, because it's a bad hospital-borne infection and is great at developing and spreading antibiotic resistance. But it was fine in this lab because a) we had the biosafety cabinets, and b) it only really infects immunocompromised people. So, if you're sick don't go into the lab, but otherwise it doesn't really pose a risk to lab workers.

I could talk so much more about labs and the things we do in them, if people have any questions please ask!

[thelakeman]

5:35 Gordon is a highly trained professional, he doesn't need to hear all this.

[Eoin-B]

My sister works in a BSL-3 lab. The respirators are attached to the ceiling, like your footage of BSL-4 and there isn't a dual zone at 3:21 just a positive pressure room, forcing all the air to run through the multiple ventilation hoods. There is more air pressure between the two sliding doors though.
IDK, maybe there is a huge overlap between levels. She works for Boston Scientific.

[Meower]

Surprised they don't have biolabs where everything in there is a robot and everything is operated via telepresence. If a human body never actually enters the room, no need for the PPE, the chemical shower, the regular shower, etc.

Or is there a BSL-5 that they're not talking about 'cuz ... the first rule of the BSL-5 lab is that you don't talk about the BSL-5 lab ..?

[naturally_rob]

I worked for a company for a few years doing air balancing and maintainence for cleanrooms and labs. There's some very fun physics with it. The most I've been in was a BSL-3 and it took them five months from when we got the contract for me and my partner to be cleared to go and do our work. Best I've been paid in a long while.

[nolananderson]

That awkward moment when an HAI video is basically the first 5 minutes of any safety training for work...