Partnering the NBAF with the Biosecurity Research Institute

The Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) at K-State “supports comprehensive ‘farm-to-fork’ infectious disease research programs that address threats to plant, animal, and human health.” It recently announced it is ready to begin the vital research needed to protect our nation’s food supply.

This article in the Kansas City Business Journal highlights what is going on:

“Kansas State University is ready to conduct important animal-health research for the federal government, even before dirt is turned on the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

“That was the word from Ron Trewyn, K-State’s vice president for research, in a Thursday afternoon presentation at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City. The new facility is also known as NBAF.

“We’re ready to start the mission in 2010,” he said. “We don’t have to wait until NBAF is constructed and ready to go.”

“In fact, Trewyn said, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were at K-State this week talking about getting started on some of the NBAF-type research.

“Trewyn said the university’s existing Biosecurity Research Institute is secure enough to house some of the research that will be done at NBAF.

“The federal government chose K-State as the NBAF site in January. Scientists there will conduct research on deadly and highly infectious animal diseases. It will replace the aging Plum Island Animal Disease Center, located on an island off Long Island, N.Y.

“The facility is expected to cost as much as $725 million to build, creating roughly 1,500 construction jobs and having a long-term economic impact of more than $3 billion. Construction on the building is slated to begin in November.

“NBAF is expected to have a business impact throughout the KC Animal Health Corridor, which stretches from Manhattan, Kan., to Columbia, Mo.

“Trewyn said he has been receiving inquiries from companies interested in locating close to the federal research facility.

“He said the animal health corridor — which local economic development officials say accounts for roughly a third of total sales in the $19 billion global animal health market — was a key to winning the NBAF.

“The animal health corridor was a big, big deal,” he said, “because NBAF is about delivering products that can solve the problem” of protecting the food supply.”