BY: SAMANTHA BARTLETT, DVM

The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) was recently completed in Manhattan, KS. The facility was constructed to replace the Plum Island Disease Center that has housed foreign animal disease research conducted by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for 68 years. The new NBAF will house the first biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) containment lab with the ability to house large livestock. Previously, the US has had to rely on facilities in other countries to study high consequence diseases in large livestock.  

The new facility is over 700,000 square feet and is designed to allow scientists to study and ensure the safety and security of the nation’s food supply. The facility also houses a Biologics Development Module for the development of potential vaccines and diagnostics. 

Although developed and constructed under ownership of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, the NBAF will operate under the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The final construction cost was under the $1.25 billion budget designated in 2014.