Due to limited resources and effective immediately, the UCLA high containment program can no longer support ABSL3 work in the BSL3 laboratory. Projects previously approved by the HCUC, ARC, and IBC that have not yet been initiated will not be allowed to proceed at this time. This decision is immediate and indefinite; we regret the inconvenience to you and your research teams.
Earlier this year, our committee announced that it would consider BSL3 use proposals for projects that include short duration, small scale mouse experiments. Our February 8, 2021 letter to the research community advised that “even if approval is received from the HCUC, ARC, and IBC for small scale animal experiments…future use of the BSL3 facility for animal work cannot be guaranteed” and cautioned researchers to identify off-site contract facilities for future ABSL3 work in all grant proposals.
The allowance of ABSL3 experiments in the BSRB facility was not sustainable. In order to be able to support this type of research at UCLA, we require a dedicated facility. I encourage you to voice your support for such a facility in the form of a letter to the HCUC, which will be forwarded to the appropriate parties.
Regards,
Jerome Zack, Ph.D.
Chair
On behalf of the High Containment Use Committee (HCUC)