VIDO looking to expand to a level four containment lab
Global News
Saskatoon-based VIDO is looking to become the second level four containment research facility in Canada.
A lab in Saskatoon researching infectious diseases is looking to become only the second in Canada that is capable of working on the most severe and contagious illnesses.
The VIDO lab in Saskatoon, which currently operates as a containment level two and level three research facility, wants to upgrade the facility to containment level four.
Moving VIDO to containment level four would give Canada its second such facility — one is currently housed at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. Containment level four facilities deal with the most severe and contagious diseases.
Dr. Volker Gerdts, who heads up VIDO, said it is one of three critical elements for the research facility to become the country’s centre for pandemic research.
“This alone would double Canada’s capacity level for research and would help the country to be better prepared for any future emerging disease,” Gerdts told a Saskatoon city committee on Monday.
The other elements are the construction of a vaccine manufacturing facility on the University of Saskatchewan campus and a new animal facility.
“That will allow us to house exotic species from which we often see this is a jump into humans, and bats are a good example of such species,” Gerdts said.
Online community consultations will take place over three days starting on Jan. 27, Gerdts said.