A new facility that boosts Singapore’s research efforts in existing infectious diseases and its defences against new outbreaks was officially opened by Minister for Health, Minster Gan Kim Yong, on 14 May 2015.
Designed to biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) standards, the second highest rating for such laboratories, this new research facility is fully capable of handling dangerous biological substances – signifying a new era of translational research for infectious diseases in Singapore.
Based at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine’s flagship building, the Centre for Translational Medicine, the 650-square metre laboratory has been carefully designed to accommodate researchers to study some of the most infectious diseases known to man and to find solutions to dealing with these dangerous microorganisms.
The laboratory currently has seven principal investigators working on more than 20 projects with institutions such as Harvard and Rutgers University and with experts from various disciplines at the NUS and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research.
Boasting intrusion alarms, round-the-clock closed-circuit television monitoring and a security system that grants access by verifying the vein profile of an authorised person’s hand, the facility is one of seven such laboratories in Singapore.
(Extreme left) A/Prof Dick giving Guest-of-Honour, Minister Gan and distinguished guests a short tour of the biosafety level 3 laboratory.
From left to right: A/Prof Thomas Dick (Director, BSL-3 Laboratory), Prof John Wong (Chief Executive, NUHS & Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, NUS), Prof Tan Chorh Chuan (President, NUS & Chairman, NUHS), Mr Gan Kim Yong (Minister for Health), A/Prof Yeoh Khay Guan (Dean, NUS Medicine & Deputy Chief Executive for Academic Enterprise, NUHS) and Dr Sabai Phyu (Deputy Director, BSL-3 Laboratory).