USDA National Bio & Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF)

Research ServicesKansas, United States51-200 Employees

Owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) is state-of-the-art facility in Manhattan, KS that helps protect the nation’s agriculture, farmers and citizens against the threat and potential impact of serious animal diseases.

NBAF is replacing the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), a biosafety level-3 facility in New York that is more than 70 years old. Currently, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) conduct foreign animal disease research, training and diagnostics in this center. ARS and APHIS are transferring their missions from PIADC to NBAF and will operate the facility jointly.

To protect the food supply and support the nation’s economy, NBAF will enable the U.S. to conduct comprehensive research, develop vaccines and anti-virals, and provide enhanced diagnostic and training capabilities to protect the nation from transboundary, emerging, and zoonotic animal diseases that threaten our food supply, agricultural economy, and public health. NBAF will be the first facility in the U.S. to provide maximum biocontainment (BSL-4) laboratories capable of housing cattle and other large livestock for the purpose of developing vaccines and diagnostics for zoonotic diseases.

Scientific activities at NBAF have started in phases. This phased process begins with low-risk, common science practices that don’t involve infectious pathogens and moves to more advanced or mission-focused science in later phases. Current scientific activities at NBAF are at a BSL-1 and -2. This is similar to science work in most universities, colleges and diagnostic laboratories across the country. Activities will progress to BSL-3 then -4 as safety and science goals are achieved. As NBAF proceeds through science standup, the facility and its procedures are required by law to undergo inspections and reviews by federal regulatory agencies.

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