Butantan Institute’s visit to CNPEM focuses on advances in the Project Orion

Experts discuss Orion’s infrastructure and progress, highlighting its relevance for scientific development and dealing with health crises

A delegation from the Butantan Institute made up of researchers and students from the vivarium course visited the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM). The visit aimed to explore potential collaborations for the Project Orion – a laboratory complex for advanced research into pathogens, featuring Latin America’s first high and maximum biological containment level facilities (NB3 and NB4, respectively), the world’s only such laboratories connected to a particle accelerator, Sirius.

In the morning, the agenda included a presentation about Orion, delivered by CNPEM’s Director-General Antonio José Roque da Silva. Subsequently, specialists from the Butantan Institute presented their work, beginning with Vania Mattaraia. As Technical Director of the Central Animal Facility and vice-coordinator of the Butantan Institute’s School Teaching Center, Mattaraia also represents the Brazilian Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA) of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCTI), which regulates animal husbandry in Brazil. Following this, researcher Lincoln Suesdek presented his research focused on understanding problems related to disease-transmitting mosquitoes. Suesdek is also responsible for developing a new technology platform in the field of mosquito research.

Suesdek emphasized the importance of biosafety-certified vivariums for investigating the vector competence of mosquitoes, such as the facilities planned for Orion. “Brazil is heavily impacted by mosquitoes and, consequently, by the diseases they transmit. One crucial factor to monitor is vector competence: a mosquito’s ability to transmit a specific virus under varying conditions. We know that there are different strains of mosquito. They evolve, they change, they become more or less competent, and virus strains also change. And this needs to be studied. The solution to these diseases, whether it be vaccines or mosquito control, inevitably requires an understanding of vector competence. In order to learn about this vector competence in a dynamic way, biosafety-certified vivariums are essential because you can’t work with these viruses posing risks to the people who study them, or to the population living near the facilities. Therefore, the biosafety laboratories planned for Orion will be indispensable”, he emphasized.

Regarding the partnership with CNPEM, he anticipates several collaborations, including the study of emerging viruses. “We don’t know how these viruses interact with mosquitoes. We don’t know their potential for outbreaks and epidemics, their lethality and pathogenicity. Many of these viruses and even some mosquito species are poorly understood. At Butantan, we have research focused on addressing these challenges. A partnership between CNPEM and Butantan will not only expand study capacity but also unlock new possibilities. For instance, we can couple synchrotron light with the study of how an emerging virus – or a known virus – interacts with mosquito immunity, with mosquito cells. This is groundbreaking. I am confident that this is the ideal environment for conducting such research with excellence, and the collaboration between these two institutions will be highly productive”, he said.

Among the facilities planned for the Orion project are vivariums, as well as laboratories for electron microscopy, cryomicroscopy, and advanced bioimaging techniques. The complex will also include laboratories with varying levels of biosafety, among other resources.

From the outset, the scope of the Project Orion has been discussed with representatives from various institutions to ensure its infrastructure adequately addresses diverse demands. These range from strategic issues within the Brazilian Health System to scientific and technological challenges across the biosciences and medicine.

To engage strategic partners and members of the academic community, a series of events has been held since the project’s inception, addressing demands, core premises, and Orion’s experimental capabilities. Collaboration and cooperation continue as discussions about the scientific cases to be developed at Orion progress.

Antonio José Roque da Silva, Director-General of CNPEM, believes that a future partnership with the Butantan Institute will contribute to Orion’s planned activities and competencies. “All this infrastructure will be open and accessible to the academic community, so it is essential for CNPEM to establish and expand partnerships with institutions like the Butantan Institute. The combination of our advanced technological resources, such as Sirius, the state-of-the-art synchrotron light and all those that will be available at Orion, coupled with Butantan’s expertise as Latin America’s leading producer of vaccines and serums, will undoubtedly lead to research and actions that will contribute to health and surveillance in Brazil,” said José Roque.

Vania Mattaraia, Technical Director of the Central Animal Facility, emphasized the importance of establishing a maximum biocontainment laboratory. “The need for environments capable of addressing future challenges is paramount. Currently, we lack an NB4 lab. I believe it will be crucial, not only for specific research areas but also for the scientific progress and development of the country”, she said. She also commented that a future partnership between CNPEM and Butantan Institute would result in a combination of the two organizations’ expertise.

During the afternoon, the Butantan delegation toured the training laboratory that simulates high and maximum biosafety environments. This facility is currently hosting the Training & Qualification Program, designed to prepare human resources for working in future biocontained environments within the Project Orion.