The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) trains researchers and technicians involved in the project to establish Latin America’s first maximum biological containment (BSL-4) laboratory complex
Photo credit: Outreach/CNPEM
In early July, the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) received a group of directors and researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Their visit included a week of theoretical and practical training on maximum biological containment (BSL-4) for CNPEM’s professionals who will work at the Orion laboratory complex, which will include the first BSL-4 facilities in Latin America and the first in the world linked to a synchrotron light source, Sirius. At the same time, some of the directorship from both institutions discussed a broader future partnership between CNPEM and the university.
This was the first time training for maximum biological containment labs, the first of its kind in Latin America, was presented outside UTMB facilities. The training was held from July 2 to 7 and included specialists from UTMB and CNPEM such as Nicolette Ward (Lead Biosafety Professional, UTMB), Corrie Ntiforo (Assistant Director for Biosafety, UTMB), Rafael Elias (Virology, CNPEM), and Tatiana Ometto (Biosafety, CNPEM).
“UTMB coming here to train for BSL-4 environments makes us much more mature in this process of preparing our professionals here in Brazil. This is just the first step. We have a long road ahead of us to begin training our researchers,” says Tatiana Ometto, a biomedical scientist and specialist in biosafety at CNPEM.
Accurate replica
The BSL-4 training laboratory, where the hand-on activities with the specialists from UTMB were held, is an accurate replica of real facilities in a maximum biological containment lab. Within this simulated space, researchers in training will be able to carry out security protocols without actually handling infectious materials or risking infection, under the supervision of professionals dedicated to performing individual assessments on biosafety protocols.
“I cannot imagine a level four biosafety laboratory without a training environment. There is value in being able to train people in a safe simulated environment before bringing them into a space with higher risk. I believe this is the most important point, since it allows professionals to work safely and build confidence,” adds Corrie Ntiforo, UTMB’s Assistant Director for Biosafety.
At the same time, researchers from CNPEM have traveled for periods of training and research in BSL-4 laboratories located in the United States and Europe. The objective is for the Center to be able to train its own specialists in maximum biosafety lab environments, as well as to train researchers and technicians from other countries to work in BSL-4 laboratories. Construction work on the building that will house Orion is scheduled to conclude in 2026.
Broader partnership
A commission comprised of leadership was guided by Maurício Nogueira, a professor at the University of São Paulo (USP) and advisor to CNPEM, and included Alan Landay (UTMB Vice President), Scott Weaver (Scientific Director of the Galveston National Laboratory/UTMB), Nikos Vasilakis (UTMB), Shannan Rossi (Associate Professor, UTMB), and Sharon Comvalius-Goddard (Associate Vice President for Research Regulations and Compliance Officer, UTMB). During the visit, Landay highlighted the mutual interest in strengthening ties and carrying out joint projects.
“I am here to learn more about the work that is being carried out at CNPEM and how we at UTMB can interact with the scientists here. Of course, one of the projects that brought us here was Orion; . I am exploring trying to understand how the scientists here in Brazil can work together with scientists in Galveston, Texas. I believe there are great opportunities, not only in the area of infectious diseases but also in non-transmissible diseases and research on aging, possibly expanding the horizons of scientists here in Brazil at CNPEM and our scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston,” explains Alan Landay, Vice President of Team Science at UTMB.
“Considering what happened during the pandemic because of the virus that causes COVID-19, it became very clear to the Brazilian community how important it is to have more research infrastructure and keep researchers organized in collaborative networks working together. For this reason, we are looking to establish international partnerships with institutions that already operate high and maximum containment laboratories, particularly those that offer associated training programs. One of these institutions is the University of Texas Medical Branch in the United States, with which we have maintained an academic collaboration that has unfolded in a very promising way,” explains Rafael Elias Marques, a biologist and head researcher in CNPEM’s Department of Virology.
Project Orion
Project Orion will be a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research, and will include Latin America’s first maximum biological containment level facilities (BSL-4), the only labs of this kind in the world connected to a synchrotron light source, Sirius. Currently under construction in the city of Campinas, São Paulo on the CNPEM campus, this project will combine analytic techniques and advanced competencies in bioimaging which will be open to the scientific community and public agencies. By permitting advances in knowledge on pathogens and related diseases, Orion will support health surveillance activities and policies, as well as the development of diagnostic methods, vaccines, treatments, and epidemiological strategies. Orion will support national sovereignty in facing health crises, and has the potential to benefit various areas such as health, science and technology, defense, and the environment.
The implementation of Project Orion is overseen by the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), a social organization linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). The project is part of the federal government’s New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) and funded with resources from the National Scientific and Technological Development Fund (FNDCT) and MCTI, with support from the Ministry of Health (MS). This initiative is part of the federal government’s New Industry Brazil (NIB) stimulus policy and will serve as an instrument of national sovereignty, competence, and security in the fields of science and technology for research, defense, and human, animal, and environmental health. Orion was also planned to strengthen the Health Economic-Industrial Complex (CEIS), an initiative coordinated by the Ministry of Health and intended to meet priority demands from the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS).
About CNPEM
CNPEM is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment with activities within different fronts of the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the MCTI, CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently developing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation.
Credentials for visiting
CNPEM’s BSL-4 training labs for Orion are open to visits by journalists interested in learning more about the entire training process for high biosafety environments and the BSL-4 lab. Visits can be scheduled by emailing andriotti@corcovadoestrategica.com.br
