Current status and future challenges of high-level biosafety laboratories in China

Abstract

High-level biosafety laboratories are safe and secure platforms which integrate reliable containment, well-trained personnel, and specific biosafety manuals and practices to protect researchers from being infected while manipulating microbial pathogens and prevent pathogens from being released into the outside environment. During the past decades, laboratories with different protection levels have been constructed and operated, the legal framework and a laboratory biosafety management system have been established, and these operational laboratories have played an essential role in combatting emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in China. Here, we have summarized the significant achievements of high-level laboratory planning, construction, and operation in China, as well as the challenges that we face in the future. Additionally, we have briefly discussed the national plan for construction of high-level biosafety laboratories from 2016-2025 and "biosafety-motivated" management system. This review might be informative for further understanding the present situation and future function of high-level biosafety laboratories in China.

Keywords: BSL; Biosafety; Biosecurity; Challenge; Network; Plan; Public health, China.

Fig. 1

Left: Staff celebrating the physical completion of the laboratory in 2015, Wuhan, China; Right: Two technicians performing scientific research activities under positive pressure protection in the laboratory.