Source: Ron Trewyn, 785-532-5110, trewyn@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Jennifer Torline, 785-532-0847, jtorline@k-state.edu

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

BIOSECURITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OPENS ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC FOR OPEN HOUSE; NBAF PROGRAM MANAGER TO PARTICIPATE

MANHATTAN -- A behind-the-scenes look at the Biosecurity Research Institute and firsthand information about the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility are part of this year's All-University Open House at Kansas State University.

The Biosecurity Research Institute at Pat Roberts Hall on the Manhattan campus will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 16, as part of K-State's annual open house.

The institute is an integral part of K-State's plan to become a top 50 public research university by 2025. It is a biocontainment research facility that has enhanced biosafety level 3 and biosafety level 3 agriculture laboratories.

The day will include demonstrations and virtual tours of the facility, giving visitors the chance to discover what biosafety levels are and what they mean. Visitors can try on safety gear, learn about biocontainment operations and maintenance, and find out what it takes to work in a biocontainment facility.

Visitors also can participate in question-and-answer sessions with Julie Brewer, the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility program manager from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. NBAF will be built on the hill east of the Biosecurity Research Institute.

The institute is located on the northern part of the Kansas State University main campus and offers 31,000 square feet of research space. The facility also includes a combined classroom and laboratory for hands-on interactive learning, a modern lecture hall that seats up to 50 people and conference rooms with distance learning capabilities.